Fill What's Empty, Empty What's Full, Scratch Where It Itches
by shiawasena neko
Summary: Light Yagami lives a charmed life. He's got a great job working as a detective for the NPA and he's got a gorgeous, loving girlfriend with whom he lives. He's also having a sexual affair with his co-worker, L Lawliet. What happens when L ends up getting pregnant? MPREG, obviously. AU. X-posted to my sunshinemeow AO3 account. Possibly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

Light Yagami really had it all.

At age 23, he was already a lead detective with the NPA. He lead a small team of men, who, in their short tenure working with Light, had helped to solve over fifty crimes. His job afforded him a comfortable lifestyle; he and his girlfriend, Mae, lived in a nice apartment in one of the better sections of Tokyo.

Mae was, for all intensive purposes, a housewife. She and Light were not yet married, but she took care of their apartment and cooking and paying the bills. On the nights when Light was home, she ensured that he had a hot meal ready, and that his bath was drawn just how he liked it.

Besides taking care of all aspects of the home front, Mae modeled and worked as a freelance graphic artist. The arrangement was perfect for both her and Light - she was able to pursue her passions at a reasonable pace since Light provided enough income for the both of them. Anything else that she brought in was topping on the cake.

Light loved Mae. She was beautiful - with long, wavy dark hair, pale flawless skin and huge green eyes. She was what people would call Eurasian; her mother was Japanese, her father American. She and Light had met through Matsuda, one of the men on Light's team. Mae was Matsuda's friend's sister.

Yet, as much as Light loved Mae, he also loved his job. He'd followed in the footsteps of his father and he loved the challenges that he faced both intellectually and physically. Light was extremely intelligent - a genius, people often said. His intellect was rivaled only by L Lawliet, one of the other members of his team.

Realistically, both Light and L led the team. Light considered L to be an intellectual peer. Someone who could understand things and ideas on a level that most others could not.

In day to day practice, L usually took care of the research part of investigations while Light did the footwork. L was strong physically, but Light was stronger. Light figured that L could probably become equally as strong if he gave up his habit of consuming such large amounts of sweets and sitting around all day, but he would never suggest such a thing. Their arrangement worked out fine, there was no need to change anything at all.

00

This particular night was one of celebration. Light, L and the rest of the team had cracked a case of an abducted child. She had been taken in broad daylight from outside of her school. They managed to track her location and rescue her before the man who'd taken her - a past murder suspect and possible sex offender - had had a chance to make a move.

With the girl safe at home with her parents and the perpetrator locked in prison, the group went out to celebrate. Light phoned Mae to tell her that he would likely not be home. As they would be drinking, he would probably spend the evening at L's apartment, which was within walking distance of the bar they frequented.

This was nothing new to Mae. On such occasions, Light often stayed out to party. She understood. And she trusted L as well. The other genius would keep her lover safe, for sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Mae thought that she knew all there was to know about Light. His father was a policeman - a police chief, rather. Light was a genius and had earned top marks in all of his classes. He'd gone on to become graduate in the top one percent of his class from To-Oh University. He had been very popular while at school and had even dated model Misa Amane for a brief time previously.

What she did not know was that Light and L were, on occasion, more than just friends and co-workers.

Sometimes, after they went out drinking, things would happen back at L's apartment. There would be kisses and caresses, and more often than not it led into Light taking L from behind. L was smaller and more submissive. Light would fuck him and reach around and jerk him off until they both came. Then, spent, they'd lay together in bed until they felt ready to shower. Light would then spend the evening in L's bed, cuddled up next to him, holding the smaller man as they slept. Or rather, as Light slept. L did not sleep much. The dark bags under his eyes were proof of that. This was not to say that L did not enjoy being held. Light made him feel safe and secure, not that he would ever outright tell the other man this.

Even with the dark bags and L's thinner, less athletic frame, Light found him attractive. Not attractive in the same way that he found Mae attractive; it was more that L had a strangeness about him that drew Light in. He was so quiet, always deep in thought. He sat in a strange way, crouched with his knees drawn nearly up to his chest. His hair was messy and wild and thick and beautiful, in Light's opinion.

Still, what they had was merely an occasional fling. Light had Mae, and L had… work. And Watari, his adoptive father. L was sort of a loner. He didn't really have many friends besides Light. The others worked with him but besides Matsuda, who liked everyone, they merely tolerated L. He was socially awkward and often he came off as condescending when talking to others. He knew he was more intelligent than the rest and he made it known, though Light thought it was mostly unintentional.

That evening was the same as the others. Light and L had gone back to L's apartment. They'd kissed, fucked, showered and slept. Then early in the morning, Light woke up. L made them both a small breakfast - toast and fruit for Light, a bowl of sugary cereal topped with extra sugar for L, then they set off to work, acting as if nothing had happened.

00

From L's perspective, things were a bit different.

The thing was, he had feelings for Light. Deep feelings. Light had been his first and only friend, and Light had been the one to take his innocence. Intellectually, they made a good pair. Both of them were smart enough to read the other's needs without speaking, most of the time. If L had his way, Light would be his, and if Light was his, he would certainly go out of his way to make sure that Light was happy.

Sometimes, when work was slow, L dreamed about this. About Light being with him romantically. Living with him, perhaps. They'd have a big bed made of that tempur pedic material so that L wouldn't wake Light up with his tossing and turning. L would make him breakfast every morning - real breakfast, not just toast - an actual meal. They would go out shopping together, eat together in public. At night, after dinner, they'd sit and talk about things that only they understood.

It would be a nice life. Their combined incomes would allow for a house, most likely. A fairly big house. Maybe there would be a hot tub - Light did love hot baths, it seemed. There would be a fire place for when it was cold outside, and they would sit near it and cuddle.

L had never enjoyed physical contact before Light had come along. He'd lacked it for most of his life, save for a couple of hugs from Watari now and then. But with Light, things were different. Light was gentle with him, but firm when L wanted it. He knew exactly what buttons to push to turn L on, and what to do to calm L down.

But, Light had Mae. He was going to propose soon, most likely. At least, Light had mentioned it once or twice while talking to the group. Light would never love him the way that he wanted. And so, L kept his feelings to himself. He'd take the physical contact and sex when he could get it and he'd have to be content with that.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

A month went by. The team was busy tracking a serial killer who had been killing his victims by some unknown method, removing all of their blood, their heads and hands before dissecting their bodies into precisely cut 10.16 cm pieces.

The bodies were always male, and always found in parks. So far there were six of them.

L and Light had a theory about who the killer was - a wealthy executive who had a past history of violence and links to the BDSM community, which many of the victims were also associated with. Circumstantial evidence made it seem that he was the killer, but the team was still looking for physical proof of it. The man was extremely thorough when it came to cleaning up, it seemed.

Everyone was working more than usual. L, especially. Since he rarely slept he used his spare time to research more about their main suspect.

Then, one morning, something odd happened.

L had managed to get an hour and a half of sleep, but when he awoke, he felt sick. Sick enough to where he had to run to the bathroom, only barely making it on time. Once there he vomited up all of the treats he had eaten in the previous hours, filling the toilet with a rainbow of bits of food in various stages of digestion.

Groaning, L rested his head on the side of the toilet when he was done. His stomach still hurt, but he didn't think he would vomit again.

After resting for a few moments, he pulled himself up. He briefly considered taking the day off, but ultimately decided against it. The killer at large needed to be brought to justice. That was more important than his own personal health.

00

L arrived at HQ just as Light was walking in.

"Hey," Light greeted him.

"Hi," L mumbled. He still felt rather ill, and now he was starting to feel dizzy too.

"Everything alright?" Light asked, after walking next to L for a few moments in silence.

"Yes, fine," L replied. He just wanted to get to work, where he could sit.

"If you're sure." Light could tell something was off with L, but decided not to press it. L never liked to show weakness, so pressuring him about what was bothering him would only strain their friendship.

L stopped and leaned against a wall, trying to keep his balance. He managed to play this off as him simply taking a second to stop and reply to Light.

"I'm sure," he answered.

00

By midday, the stomach ache and nausea had faded. L felt much better, though slightly fatigued. He put it off to eating too much the previous evening. He'd been hungrier, lately, and had managed to polish off three entire boxes of snack cakes on top of a quart of ice cream. He'd overdone it, pure and simple, and he had paid for it earlier.

Thankfully, no one besides Light seemed to notice that anything was wrong.

00

The next morning, L woke up sick yet again. This time, he didn't make it to the bathroom. He ended up vomiting all over himself and his bed. Besides feeling humiliated (despite being alone), he also felt terrible. His throat burned. His stomach was cramping. And then, as if things couldn't get any worse, another wave of sickness came over him. Knowing that there was no saving his comforter and pajamas now, L just let it happen. He threw up on himself yet again.

00

L spent the rest of the day feeling sick, dizzy and tired. He spent Wednesday feeling like that too and by Thursday L was seriously wondering if something was wrong.

The silver lining of all of it was that on that same day, L found a bottle of Dayquil and a bottle of Peptobismal in his desk drawer. A short note stating 'thought you would need these' was left with them. Light had obviously been the one to do it; they could read each other very well and L was sure that Light knew he was sick, even if L himself would not admit it. The medicine did not help much, but the gesture made L smile.

Besides that, the team finally found the evidence they needed to bring their suspect to trial. A hair had been left alongside one of the more recently found bodies, and it had been matched with the executive. The team's job was done. Everyone wanted to go out drinking, as per usual in such an instance, but this time, L declined. Instead, he made his way to Watari's house, hoping that his father might be able to help him.

00

Quillish Wammy, otherwise known to L and his other adopted sons as Watari, was not surprised to see L walking up the path to his front door.

He had adopted L when the boy was five years old, after his parents had died in a terrible accident. L had been living at an orphanage in England, and that was where Watari had found him.

Those who cared for L warned that while L was a well behaved child, he was somewhat awkward and was often unable to cope with social situations. The result was that he was bullied a lot, by kids his own age and older.

Even if L was somewhat odd, Watari knew from the moment that he saw the boy that he was meant to adopt him. As the years went by Watari grew to love L as a son, and L loved Watari as a father.

But now, L was nearing thirty years old. Watari was always happy to see his son, but he assumed that L had come for help of some type, and this had him slightly worried.

Because of L's extreme intelligence, social awkwardness and tendency to get pushed around, Watari had sheltered L from the world. L had been home schooled, even though his younger brothers Mail and Mihael were sent to a private school. Anything that L needed, Watari took care of, even going so far as to allow the boy to eat candy and sweets all day instead of food with nutritional value.

Now, Watari worried that he had made a mistake. Mail and Mihael were capable young adults, and while L was mostly independent, he lacked the ability to do tasks that most people his age were capable of doing. Booking flights, making travel arrangements, cooking, and even taking care of himself when ill were examples. That was part of why Watari had moved to Japan when L took his spot on the NPA - he knew that L would need him.

By the looks of things, it seemed like L was sick right then. He looked paler than normal and seemed to be hunching over even worse than he usually did.

"L," Watari greeted him. "Come in." He held the front door open.

L slowly trudged inside and gently put his rucksack on the floor. From there, he took a seat on the edge of the couch in the living room. Watari noticed that L was not sitting in his usual crouched position. This further fueled his speculation that L was sick.

"Have you come for a social visit?" Watari asked, jokingly.

"Watari…" L started, not daring to make eye contact. L knew how sad it was that he was still going to his father for aid at his age, but he felt that he had nowhere else to turn. "I...I don't feel well."

L continued to stare at the floor.

"Ah. I figured as such." Watari walked over to L and gently helped him up. He was so thin and light, it didn't take much effort. "How about we get you into bed, and I'll try to help you."

"Please," L whispered. He stood up and grabbed his rucksack as he did, taking it with him.

Watari led L into one of the guest rooms. There, he kept two spare beds in case L, Mail or Mihael came to visit. The next room over contained another two. It was in there that Nate, Watari's youngest adopted son slept. As it was currently late at night, Nate was already sleeping.

"Here you go," Watari pulled back the covers on the bed nearest to the window. He scanned the room for a moment before locating Hero. Smiling, he picked up the stuffed panda doll that L had always been so fond of. He handed it over to L, who stared at it for a moment before quietly hugging it to his chest.

"You keep Hero because I like him," L commented.

"Yes."

"But you do not have to."

"It's not a big deal, L. Hero takes up very little space and I know you like having him with you when you are unwell."

L said nothing, but placed Hero the panda on his pillow. He reached for his rucksack and pulled it onto the bed as well.

"So, what is bothering you?" Watari asked, once L was under the covers. The older man sat on the edge of the bed as he prepared to listen.

"I've been feeling off for days," L began, "At first, it was only in the morning. I threw up once. Then the next day, it was worse, and I… well I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time, and I threw up on the bed. And on myself," L could feel his cheeks flushing as he told that embarrassing tale. "Yesterday and today, I made it, but I felt sick all day. I still feel sick now, Watari."

"Hmm." Watari reached out and touched L's forehead. "You don't feel hot. I'll check your temperature anyway, but if you don't have one, my guess would be food poisoning… Though, that does not explain why you've been so ill for so many days. Usually food poisoning passes quickly. Perhaps it is a more severe type."

L reached into his rucksack and pulled out the two medicine bottles that Light had given him.

"Light left these for me." He showed Watari the half empty Peptobismal bottle and the quarter empty Dayquil bottle.

Watari could swear that he saw L smirk at the mention of Light's name, and it took all of his energy not to sigh.

Light was L's friend. Watari was happy that L had a friend, but it seemed clear that L was clinging to Light more so than he should be. Again, the old man blamed himself. He should have taught L how to make friends, how to talk to others. And now, he had probably done the same thing to Nate. That was another story, though.

"Light is a good friend to you," Watari commented.

"He is," L agreed.

"Did you tell him that you were ill?"

"He figured it out on his own and left these for me."

"I see."

Watari had hoped that L would have met someone else who would have accepted his awkwardness and maybe taken L as a lover. He'd hoped that L would marry, preferably to someone who would meet his needs or maybe teach him to do things that he hadn't learned before. But as L grew older, it seemed less and less likely that this would happen. Watari feared that L was viewing his friend as a possible love interest, when it seemed clear that Light did not feel the same way.

Frowning, Watari picked up the bottles and placed them on the night stand.

"Well, let me take your temperature. If you're normal, then you should rest tonight and take off work tomorrow, and rest then too."

"I can't -"

"They can get by for one day without you, L. Don't make me call Light and tell him how sick you are."

L slumped even further, then laid down and curled into a ball, holding Hero close to him. He faced away from Watari. Obviously, L was upset at the prospect of Watari contacting Light, but if L was not going to take time off to recover, then Watari would have no choice.

"...I'll take off," L finally said.

"Good. I'll get the thermometer, then."

00

It turned out that L did not have a fever. Watari started him on a diet of rice, toast, apples and bananas in the hopes that it would help L's system recover. L, of course, hated this diet, but stuck to it if only because he had no means of getting sweets while at Watari's home.

But nothing seemed to help.

Light called him on Friday, and L admitted that he was truly sick. Light had offered to visit but L had declined, not wanting Light to see him in such a state. On Saturday, it got worse. On Sunday, Watari finally took L to the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Probably not medically accurate. Not a doctor. Needed a way for L to get knocked up.

Ch. 4

On Monday, L did not return to work. Light knew that his friend had been sick, but he was surprised that his illness had lasted so long. So, he called Watari, who reluctantly admitted that L was in the hospital. Tests were being run.

The day was a fairly slow one, so the team used their lunch break to visit him. First, though, Mogi and Matsuda insisted that they stop at the hospital's gift store. After making what Matsuda and Mogi felt was a suitable purchase, the group made their way to L's room. All were stunned to see L looking so weak and sick.

He was lying on a hospital bed, an IV line attached to his arm. His eyes appeared to be half open. Next to the bed sat Watari, along with another person - a younger man with white hair and extremely pale skin.

"Good afternoon," Watari greeted them.

"Uh.. Hi!" Matsuda spoke up. The others nodded their greetings.

"This is my other son, Nate," Watari introduced the younger man. "But he prefers to be called 'Near'."

Again, there were some mumbled greetings.

Light ignored all of this and immediately made his way over to L.

"Hey, L. What's going on?"

L blinked and opened his eyes more widely.

"Light."

"Yes, it's me," Light reassured him. "I was worried about you. We all were, so we decided to visit."

L cracked a small smile. Though it was probably Light and Matsuda's pushing that got the team there, it was still nice of them to visit. At the same time, he disliked how they all saw him, now. Weak, sick. Not the image he wanted to portray.

As if reading his mind, Light spoke up again.

"We all know how strong you are, and that you won't be here for long, but Matsuda and Mogi got you a gift anyway."

L perked up when he heard this.

"Strawberry cake?" He asked, hopefully.

"Sorry, but no. Here." Mogi handed over a red bag.

L pushed himself up, Near helping him by moving the bed into a sitting position.

When he was settled, L opened the bag to reveal a black teddy bear. It held a heart that said 'Get Well Soon!'

L looked at the teddy bear, then up at Mogi and Matsuda.

"Um. Thanks?"

"He is cute, isn't he?" Matuda asked, excitedly. "We thought it would make you happy."

L could see through the corner of his eye that Light was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"...Yes, Matsuda. Very cute. Thank you both. Next time, though, strawberry cake would be better."

"Could you even eat that now?" Light asked. L looked extremely thin -gaunt, almost.

"He can't," Near answered, softly. "Even though he wants to. The doctors are still trying to figure out why he is so sick, and until they do, he can only eat what they give him."

"It's all bland. I miss my sweets," L said, mournfully.

"Aw, well, as soon as you're better, I'll get you some strawberry cake, and cheesecake too. And candy," Light told him.

It was then that Light noticed that Watari was staring at him. Light looked at the older man.

"Perhaps we can speak outside for a moment?" Watari asked.

"Oh, yes," Light agreed, before glancing back down at L. "These guys will entertain you while I talk to your father."

"I'm sure they will," L replied.

Light smiled at him and proceeded to step out of the room with Watari. Once the door was closed, the discussion began.

"I am worried about him," Watari admitted. "I've never seen him so ill. The doctors have been doing various tests, but nothing can be found so far. They've ordered a hormonal panel to be completed, and we should have the results in a few hours."

"How's L holding up through all of this?" Light knew the answer - L was probably barely holding up at all, but he felt that he had to ask.

"He's pretty sedated right now. He had to be. He would not comply with the doctors if he was not. He is not happy about it, but it is necessary."

"I understand. And I know L, I can imagine that he would fight being here as much as possible."

"I just wanted to ask you to please be careful with him. You are L's only friend, and I know how attached he is to you. Please… don't hurt him."

"I would never…" Light trailed off, unsure of exactly what Watari meant or how much he knew. A second later, Light straightened himself out. "I'd never hurt him intentionally."

Watari nodded.

"We should return to the room."

Light and Watari returned to the room to see Matsuda talking to L at a rapid pace, and L frantically pushing the button that would give him more liquid Diazepam. Light couldn't help but laugh.

00

The team cleared out within an hour, with Light promising to visit L again soon. Now, the test results were back. The doctor - a young, overly happy woman that reminded L of an intelligent Matsuda in female form was sitting on a stool near L's bed.

"Lawliet-san, you may want to be alone for this," the doctor advised.

A worried look crossed L's face. The results could not be good if the doctor thought that his family should leave.

L looked to Watari, who looked back at him as if to say 'the choice is yours'. Near sat and said nothing, probably thinking the same thing.

"...They can stay," L finally replied. "They're my family."

"Alright. Now, Wammy-san, you likely know that your son was born with two sets of organs, correct?"

L's eyes widened. _This_ was where they were going?

"M-maybe Near should leave," L suggested. He didn't want his little brother hearing any talk about his sexual organs.

"Near, do you mind?" Watari asked.

The teenager shrugged and stood up, taking his Optimus Prime action figure with him.

"I'll wait outside," he said.

"Thank you, son."

Once Near had left, the discussion continued.

"Yes, I know about L's… situation," Watari said, trying to put it as delicately as possible.

L had been born with two sets of sexual organs. This was discovered when L was much younger and had experienced extreme stomach cramps. It turned out that he was feeling the effects of the beginning of menstruation. This only occurred twice, though, and even then one could barely call it bleeding. Rather, the testerone in L's body cancelled out the estrogen that was produced, giving L a more masculine appearance. Some traces of a feminine side remained in other areas besides his genitalia, but overall, L looked more like a man than a woman.

Only L, Watari and Light knew about this, and the only reason Light knew was because L had been forced to admit it the first time that they had sex. L thought that Mail and Mihael might know, too, but he was not entirely sure and the situation was personal enough to him that he almost didn't want to know.

"Right," the doctor continued, "Well, we ran a litany of tests… I am unsure how to put this besides saying it outright. Lawliet-san is pregnant."

Both L and Watari's jaws dropped simultaneously.

"P-pregnant?" L questioned. "H-how is that possible? Hermaphrodites are sterile!"

"Yes, that is true. At least, we thought that to be true, but you are apparently an exception."

L crossed his arms over his chest.

"You ran the tests incorrectly. Run them again, at a different lab with a different technician."

"We did. Three times, to be exact. We also ran a blood analysis and a urine analysis. We could do an trans-vaginal ultrasound, if you'd prefer that."

"Yes. Do it. I need proof."

"The test results _are_ proof, but we can do the ultrasound. Let me get a technician. I will return shortly."

The doctor stood up and walked out, leaving only L and Watari.

"They must be incorrect," L started. "It's not possible!"

Watari had an unreadable expression, which made L nervous, though he managed to hide it.

"L… You've always been extraordinary," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "I think the tests are correct. My question is, who is the other parent?"

"The tests are incorrect," L reiterated, "You'll see for sure when the ultrasound is done."

00

"...So, will you please tell me now who the other parent is?" Watari asked.

The ultrasound had been completed, showing that there was in fact a fetus. L was definitely pregnant.

"I don't want to talk about it," L answered. "And don't tell Near or Mello or Matt either. Not until I'm ready."

Watari sighed.

"Fine, L. But this changes things. You'll have to consider where you want to go from here, if you intend on keeping the baby."

"Of course I intend on keeping it," L snapped. "But I don't want to discuss it now. Tell Near I have a virus and ask the doctor for some anti-nausea medicine."

"Alright, L," Watari conceded. "I do not think this is wise, but if it is what you want, I'll do it."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Short chapter. The next one is better.

Ch. 5

The doctor ended up giving L some tips regarding the morning sickness and a long list of instructions about what he could and could not eat, how often he was to visit for checkups and what he should expect at checkups. The instructions ended with the most likely due date: April 25th. Approximately nine months from when L and Light last had sex.

L returned to work on Wednesday. He'd allowed himself one final day to see how well the doctor's tips worked regarding nausea. He forced himself to eat crackers and drink peppermint tea, as he was told it would help. It did. He only threw up once, in the morning, and after that he was fine.

For the health of his baby, his diet would have to be altered. L did not like this one bit. He would not only have to eat healthier, but he would have to eat actual meals instead of snacking on treats all day. If L did not comply, the doctor told him that he would have to start taking insulin. His blood sugar was far too elevated.

So, there he was. Watari had helped him by making him several meals in advance so that he would only have to heat them up, but he warned L that he would soon need to learn to cook for himself. It would be an important skill to have once the baby came along.

"I'm too old to raise another child," Watari had said.

L frowned at the memory. At least today he was feeling better.

"So what did it end up being?" Light asked. They were both at HQ, looking over some files.

"A virus. A bad stomach virus. She said that I have to monitor my diet more closely and take medicine for it."

L was still unsure of how to tell Light the truth. It was a huge thing, after all. And their friendship was at stake. Would Light ever want to speak to him again once he found out?

"Oh, wow," was Light's response.

For some reason, L expected more. For as long as he and Light had known each other, L always ate nothing but sweets. To know that he would have to give them up was, at least to L, big news.

"So once I do that, I will feel better," L concluded.

"Good, that's… good. I'm glad." Light forced a smile at him.

L suddenly felt concerned.

"Light, are _you_ alright?"

"I'm fine, just thinking is all."

"About what?"

Light sighed. "Mae."

This caught L's attention.

"Is everything okay with her?"

"Ah, yes. Just dealing with some issues is all. I know that you're not really… well, let's be honest, you're not really good at talking about relationships. I appreciate your concern, though."

"I may not be good at it, but I can at least listen. You are my friend, Light."

Deep down, L was hoping that maybe Light was going to leave Mae. Maybe there was some problem going on. He hadn't seen Mae recently - that was something to consider, too. She usually dropped off food for Light at work at least once each week.

"Thanks, L," Light replied. "I appreciate it. It's just stressful is all. I'll work it out, but if I need to talk, I'll definitely call you."

Not wanting to raise any suspicions, L said nothing else.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

Another month passed.

L had managed to get his morning sickness under control for the most part, though certain smells seemed to set him off. He combated this by asking the team to eat in another room as he 'needed silence to concentrate'. The team often spoke while eating, so he figured that this would make sense to them.

L had also learned to cook some basic foods. Rice, for one. That was actually pretty simple. He learned to make pasta and how to steam vegetables. And, as a reward for learning all of that, he taught himself how to bake cupcakes.

Watari was still worried, though the fact that L was attempting to be more independent made him feel somewhat better. He still wondered who the other parent was. He had his ideas, but he would need L to confirm. If it was Light, though… Well, that boy was going to face hell if he abandoned L after fathering his child.

L was not thinking much about Watari, though. He was more concentrated on the changes his body was going through to accommodate the baby, and thinking up how he planned to tell Light about it.

Light was very observant, and L was sure that he would pick up on it soon. L had already gained six pounds! It was not a lot, and he was still underweight, but his stomach was no longer concave. In another two months, he'd probably have a belly. L cringed at the thought of that. How would he be able to sit in his preferred position if he had a belly in the way?

L hoped that whatever was going on with Mae would end soon. Light still seemed to be distracted by the situation at hand, though he still refused to disclose what was happening besides stating that there would be 'some big changes soon'.

That statement could be taken a number of ways. L took it to mean that Light would be leaving Mae soon. She still had yet to bring him lunch, and Light still seemed nervous. Much more nervous than if he and Mae had had a simple argument. Something bigger was happening, and since Light didn't seem particularly happy, L calculated that there was a 71% chance that he planned on leaving. Then, maybe he and Light could be together.

Oh, how nice that would be. L smiled as he thought about it. If Light did join in a relationship with him, maybe he would accept the baby, and they could be a happy little family.

00

L's second month of pregnancy turned to the third month. During that time, Light took a trip. He wouldn't say where, though Mogi and Aizawa speculated that it was to the US. Why, no one knew. L could have confirmed this, had he wanted to. He could easily get into Light's email to see what travel arrangements he had made, but he decided not to. If Light found out - and he probably would find out - it would make him upset, and making Light upset would not be good if they were to start a relationship.

It was best to just let Light do what he had to do. Plus, Light had seemed extremely nervous about the trip prior to leaving. L took this as a good sign. Mae's parents lived in the US, perhaps Light was escorting her back home to them. Forever.

Still, L hoped that Light would break it off with Mae sooner rather than later. He was starting to show, now. Earlier in the week Matsuda had made a comment about him gaining weight. It was light hearted, and L knew he meant nothing by it, but it wouldn't be long before Light caught on, and there was only so much he could play up putting on a few pounds.

00

Light finally returned on the day that L's second trimester officially started. He had an odd look on his face when he walked into work that morning.

"Everyone," he said, calling the group's attention.

Everyone turned to face him, including L, who was currently munching on his breakfast of rice and vegetables… with a cupcake for dessert, of course. Okay, maybe two cupcakes.

When he was sure that everyone was watching, Light spoke again.

"I just wanted to let you all know...", he started.

Then Mae popped into the room. She must have been hiding behind the door.

"...We're engaged!" she finished for him. She flashed her engagement ring and everyone in the room cheered. Everyone except L, of course.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I did some research and apparently in Japan women cannot get abortions as they do in the US (where I live), they have to have a medical reason for it, so I tried to imply that here. If anyone reading this is Japanese and notices that I made an error, please let me know so I can correct it. Thanks!

Ch. 7

Mae was well into explaining how Light had taken the trip to the US to meet with her parents and ask their permission to marry her, and how he'd formally asked her by showing her a photo of a wedding dress and asking if she would like to wear it when Light noticed that L was missing.

He had run from the room minutes earlier, feeling sick after having heard the announcement.

"Mae, I'll be right back. L was sick for a while, I want to make sure that he's okay," Light told her.

Mae smiled at him, "Of course. Go check on him." She was busy telling everyone about the engagement anyway. She had been stunned when Light not only asked her to wear the wedding dress but had also pulled out a three carat diamond engagement ring. Apparently, he had saved up three months of salary for it!

Feeling confident that Mae would be able to handle the team, Light ran off to the mens room. There, he found L.

The smaller detective was kneeling on the floor in the farthest stall in the bathroom. His head was resting on the set of the toilet and it was clear that he'd been sick.

"L, are you okay?!" Light asked, alarmed. The younger man instinctively laid a hand on L's back in an attempt to comfort him. To his surprise, L pulled away.

"I'm fine," he said, under his breath. "Just… still having problems with the virus."

L turned his face so that Light wouldn't see it. Thankfully, a piece of his hair fell in front of his eyes, blocking Light's view even further.

L wanted to cry. Scratch that, he was about to cry. How had he gotten everything so wrong? He had been at least seventy five percent sure that Light and Mae were going to break up. All of the signs were there! Or maybe… Maybe he just wanted to see the signs. Light had been nervous because he was planning to ask Mae to marry him. That's all it was. Mae not showing up… That was related to something else, apparently. Maybe she landed more steady work and could no longer visit during the day. No matter what, L's hypothesis was wrong, and the pain of that realization felt like a punch to the chest.

A tear slid down L's face and landed on the tile floor.

Light sighed then got down on his knees so that he was close to eye level with L.

"L, you're crying. You're not fine. Tell me what's wrong."

Nothing. L kept quiet. For once, he had no idea what to say. In the past speaking his mind had always come easily; he never worried about offending others. But with Light, it was different. And there was so much to tell, too.

"L, if this is about… you know… what we do... " Light started, "...That doesn't have to stop just because I'm getting married. What Mae doesn't know won't hurt her."

L sniffled.

"You'd see me… on the side," he whispered. Another tear hit the floor.

"Well, yeah. Isn't that how it's always been though? Nothing will change."

"Something has changed," L replied, softly.

It was now or never, L supposed.

"What do you mean? Mae and I live together, L. We're already basically married, we're just making it official now."

"No. You don't understand." With that, L reached out and took Light's hand. He placed it on his stomach.

Light raised an eyebrow.

"Uh… What exactly are you doing?"

"Don't you feel it?!" L was beginning to get exasperated. For such an intelligent man, Light was really missing a lot.

"Um. You gained a few pounds, I guess? Which is probably good, since you were so underweight before. The new diet plan must be helping you."

"You're an idiot!" L suddenly stood up. "I'm… I'm pregnant, Light!"

Light's jaw dropped.

"...That's not possible - _you told me it wasn't possible!_ And it's not funny, either. If you're upset because of the engagement then I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be such a big deal."

"I didn't think it was possible, but it is. I had tests done… so many tests, Light. I didn't know how to tell you."

Light shook his head and stayed silent, thinking to himself.

After what felt like eternity, he finally spoke again.

"Fine, L. You just tell me when you plan to terminate it, and I'll go with you, okay? It's got to be a risky pregnancy for you, the doctors will surely agree. After that, we'll never speak of it again."

L was stunned. Of course, he expected that Light might want him to get an abortion, but he hadn't counted on him outright saying it like that. Light was usually better with words, better with people's feelings. God, he'd been wrong about everything, it seemed.

Before L could reply, Light had begun to walk out.

"I'm going back to be with my fiance, L. You let me know the date and I'll be there with you."

Then the bathroom door closed, and L was alone again.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: It's 2 for 1 Saturday! Enjoy these next two chapters because you'll have to wait a few days for the next one.

Ch. 8

L never returned to work. Instead, he slipped out one of the back doors and made his way back to his apartment. He wanted to be alone. There was so much to think about.

Light didn't want the baby. L understood it - the man had a career and he would be married, soon. A baby with someone else, especially another man, could ruin all of that. But on some level, L expected Light to at least care for something that was genetically bound to him. Wasn't that what most people did? Cared about their children?

L cared about the baby. He wouldn't be eating the vegetables and rice and lean meats that he hated if he didn't.

The worst part was how stupid he felt. L had always prized his intellect above all else, and he'd let it slip all because he let emotion get in the way. He should have never slept with Light, no matter how attracted he was. He probably shouldn't have even been friends with Light.

Still, that did not change how things were now. As much as Light's words had hurt him, L still cared about him.

As he walked into his apartment he locked the door behind him and drew the shades on the windows. Then, he slid into bed, clothes still on. He wished right then that he had Hero. It would've felt good to hug something right then. A second later, he mentally wanted to slap himself for feeling so sappy.

It was the hormones. It had to be.

00

L ended up dozing off. He dreamed of Light.

He and Light were sitting in Light's spacious apartment, talking. The television was on but the volume was low. Then, Light stopped talking. He began to stare at L.

"Is something wrong?" L asked.

"No, it's just… You look nice." Light smiled at him, and L smiled back. Then Light caressed his arm.

Soon, the two moved closer together. As Light leaned in to kiss L, L could feel his heart racing. He wanted this. To be desired, loved. Light's lips grazed his…

...And then L woke up.

The realization that he had only been dreaming caused that pain to appear in his chest again. He glanced at the clock - it was near 20:00. He'd been asleep for hours.

Frowning, L noticed that the light on his phone was blinking, indicating that he had either missed calls or had messages. He turned it on and noticed that Light had called several times. While there was no voicemail, the younger man had left a text.

'Call me when you can. We need to talk.'

00

"Are you sure that it's alright for you to be out tonight?"

L and Light were sitting at a table in a cafe near L's apartment. Light had picked him up and had even ordered him a slice of strawberry shortcake and a slice of cheesecake.

L had to admit that he was surprised by Light's sudden change of heart. What had made the man decide to treat him kindly? Wary of getting his hopes up yet again just to have them crushed, he stuck to general conversation.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Light was drinking a cup of coffee.

"Well," L said, in between bites, "You just got engaged, I thought you would be spending time with Mae."

"Slow down," Light warned him. "You're wolfing that stuff down. You'll get sick again."

L glared at him, but made an effort to slow his eating.

"And in regards to your question, we actually celebrated already. We got back from the US on Wednesday. Last night we had my parents and a few friends over and told them. Mae's happy enough with that."

'And you didn't invite me,' L thought to himself.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" L asked. He finished off his slice of cheesecake before pushing the empty plate away.

"Do you want more?" Light offered.

"I do, but it'll make me sick. You were right about that. The baby doesn't like too much sugar."

"Heh."

L stared at Light, trying to read what the man was thinking, but he couldn't quite tell. Light looked concerned, but it might have just been concern about keeping the baby a secret.

"Well?" L tried again.

"I just… I think I was wrong about how I went about things before."

L's eyes went wide.

"Are you… Are you saying that you want to keep -"

"I'm not saying that, no. L, it can't happen. But I was wrong to talk to you as I did, to order you around. I should have been more gentle with you, especially considering your condition."

"Now I'm some delicate flower?" L's tone was sarcastic.

"You _are_ delicate, L. And you're in a delicate situation. I should have taken that into account more-so than I did. What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for how I acted."

"Mm," L licked the last bits of strawberry off of his fork, "But you meant what you said."

"I do think you should terminate it and I do believe that most doctors would perform it, especially considering how high risk the pregnancy is. You can't tell me that being pregnant hasn't affected you more than it would a woman."

"The doctor said that it is unprecedented. Yes, it probably affects me more. It's part of what caused me to become so emotional earlier, I think. But I do think that I can carry the child to term."

Light sighed.

"I'm giving you an out here, L. The point is that it would be easier for you to get an abortion than it would be for a typical woman in your situation. Who would argue that a hermaphrodite being pregnant is healthy?"

"I'm not unhealthy," L answered.

"It's not _normal_. There are _risks_."

"The only risk is to your reputation and to your relationship with Mae. In regards to myself, I am prepared to take any risk necessary to bring our child into the world. I want it, Light. I want to keep it."

Light's gaze drifted down to the table.

"Then… then I don't want to be a part of it," he said. "I'm sorry, L. I really am. But you're right. I have my career to think about, and Mae and my family. I'm sorry that we can't agree on this. I suppose I can help you financially, if you wanted, but it would have to be kept secret."

L's heart sunk. He knew that this was coming, but he didn't like it.

"How will we work together?"

"I suppose that you'll have to stay on for another few months - how far along are you, anyway? - Then take a leave of absence or quit when it becomes more noticeable."

"Ninety one days," L answered. "I've just entered my second trimester. I'll… I'll know the sex of the baby, soon."

"Fetus, L. It's a fetus. Stop calling it a baby."

L said nothing. After a few painfully awkward moments, he finally stood up.

"I have to go," he mumbled.

"So we agree, then? You'll keep it secret and quit in a few months?"

L looked at Light. It took all of his strength not to break down again.

"Yes."

L then turned to leave. His apartment wasn't too far. He could walk home on his own.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: May be OOC for Soichiro. I think Light is kind of a douche and can imagine him doing this.

Ch. 9

To Light's pleasant surprise, L showed up at work on Monday acting as if nothing had happened. He'd expected the detective to be more emotional, maybe even angry. Yet, L sat silently, reviewing the day's case. Another murder, this one in the Shinagawa ward.

The identity of the killer was easy to figure out. It was the gardener, of course. He stood to gain most of his employer's fortune if his employer's son died. Not having many friends, the employer had chosen the man who'd worked for him for years.

L glanced at Light and saw that he seemed to have come to a conclusion as well. No doubt it was the same.

It wasn't long before Light, Aizawa and Mogi were sent out to arrest the gardener. L hoped that they hit traffic and were out all day. The less amount of time he had to spend around Light, the better.

00

Unfortunately for L, the rest of the week was fairly slow. As L and Light were elite detectives, they were usually only brought in for murder or kidnapping cases. Thus, the team spent several days catching up on any paperwork that they hadn't gotten around to.

To Light's credit, he seemed to be doing his best not to mention his upcoming marriage. L imagined that Light was acting this way to avoid any potential drama. Still, the other team members often brought it up, and Light, not wanting to draw suspicion of anything being wrong, obliged with answers to their questions.

Most of the time, L was able to tune it out. If he could not do this, he would leave the room. He'd been spending hours organizing evidence locker lately, and while this seemed like a wasteful way for the genius to spend his time, no one else wanted to do it, so they team let it go.

But the tension was still there. L could feel it, as could Light. It wasn't long before it came to a head.

00

As L edged closer to the four month mark, he noticed that his clothes were starting to become tighter. Most people would have considered the fit normal, but to L, who preferred baggy jeans and t-shirts, it was bothersome.

The problem was that he hadn't gotten any more clothes yet. He'd have to ask Watari to help him with that soon. Hopefully, L thought, no one would notice anything.

Of course, this was not to be. L was walking past Matsuda when the man spoke up.

"Whoa, L. You're starting to get a belly! Never thought I'd see that day!" He joked, poking L in the stomach. "Who would've thought that eating healthier would actually make you _gain_ weight!"

L scowled at him and pulled away.

"My weight is none of your business," he snapped, surprising even himself with the anger in his voice. Lately he'd been feeling very emotional, more-so than before, having extreme highs and lows. The doctor had explained that this was due to the influx of estrogen. L didn't like it at all. It clouded his mind and skewed his judgement. Not to mention, it made the few people who liked him uncomfortable, such was the case right then.

"Sorry," Matsuda said, "I didn't mean anything bad by it. You look better, actually."

"You just said that I have a belly, thus implying that I am overweight."

"Not like, a big belly. You just look more normal is all."

"Yeah, he's right," Mogi added. "No need to get so defensive, L."

L glared at him but managed to keep quiet. He returned to his work station and began pouring over files.

In an attempt to break the tension, Matsuda spoke up again.

"So, Light, have you made any progress on those honeymoon plans?"

"Well, we booked a flight to Hawaii. We'll be there for a few days, then we'll fly to California. After that, we're going to drive."

L tried not to listen. He stared at his documents, trying to force himself to focus on reading. Yet as hard as he tried, he couldn't help but pay attention.

"Can Mae drive in the US?" Aizawa asked.

"Yes, and she speaks English well, so we should have no problem."

"It sounds fun! Make sure to get postcards from every state!" Matsuda said. "And take a lot of photos!"

"They'll probably be too busy going at it to take photos," Aizawa joked.

That was it. The final straw.

"SHUT. UP."

The team turned to face L, who was now standing. They looked at him questioningly.

"ALL I HEAR ABOUT IS LIGHT'S HONEYMOON, AND HIS WEDDING. STOP TALKING ABOUT IT!"

Matsuda's jaw dropped and Aizawa and Mogi were looking at L like he had three heads.

"What's the problem?" Mogi asked. "Aren't you excited for Light?"

"NO!" L was yelling, now. "NO I AM NOT EXCITED FOR LIGHT."

"L, calm down," Light told him, "They're just asking some questions and joking around is all."

L turned to Light, who was giving him a look that said 'keep your mouth shut!'

"It's not funny," L growled, "I'm tired of it!"

"Are you jealous?" Aizawa tried. It was hard for him to understand what had set L off.

"You shouldn't be," Matsuda went on, "I mean, I'm single too. It's not a big deal! We just haven't found the right women for us yet!" He flashed L a smile in attempt to smooth things over.

"I have every right to be jealous," L replied, "After what he did to me!"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

"And what was that?"

L's heart was beating fast and he felt nothing but pure rage. It was so overwhelming that he could not control his actions.

"He got me pregnant! Matsuda, you said that I was gaining weight earlier, it's because his," L pointed at Light, "baby is in my uterus! He did it! And now he's going to marry that American girl! He's abandoning me and our child!"

"What?" Light retaliated, "That is absolutely not true! I can't believe you'd say something like that, L! I thought we were friends!"

"Holy shit," Aizawa muttered.

"But wait, I thought you were a guy?" Mogi was looking at L.

"I have female sexual organs! Light and I had sex almost four months ago, our baby is four months along, and he'll be off in another country when it's born! He wants me to keep it a secret, but I'm not going to! Not anymore!"

Light shook his head, "He's lying. He must've hit his head or something. L, stop making up rumors! I mean, why would I want to sleep with someone like _you_? You're a good friend, or at least you were - but even if I was into men, let's face it, I'd be totally out of your league. Now, I can't accept this type of behavior from you."

"Can't _accept_ this? Can't accept _what_, Light? The truth?"

Light rolled his eyes and hit a button. Within seconds, two lower ranking officers stepped into the room.

"Please remove him," Light said, referring to L. "He's yelling and causing our team great disturbance. You can see it on the video feed, if you'd like."

Knowing that Light was the chief's son, they immediately got to work on his request. The men grabbed L from both sides and began dragging him out of the room.

"Wait," Light said, causing them to stop. "I'm afraid I'll also have to file a complaint. Please escort him to Chief Yagami's office. I'll be up there in a moment."

00

Soichiro Yagami did not like L much.

He thought that the man was both annoying, what with his constant snacking and messiness, and strange. A little bit too strange, really. He didn't seem to fit in anywhere or with anyone. The only reason that he kept L around was because of his intellect. As far as L's friendship with his son went, Soichiro had assumed that it had been forged out of pity more than anything. And besides all of that, L had suspected Soichiro and even Light in cases once before, even though he had only given them a "1 to 4 percent chance of being the culprit." That had been humiliating.

Nonetheless, he was surprised to get a phone call from Light saying that L was being escorted to his office because of a disciplinary problem.

By the time they'd made it up the stairs, L had calmed considerably. In hindsight, his outburst had been a mistake. He'd allowed emotions to get the better of him once again, and now he was going to pay for it.

"Lawliet." The chief greeted him solemnly.

The two officers deposited L on a chair in front of Soichiro's desk.

"Close the door," The chief instructed.

L stared at his hands as he sat there in front of his superior.

"My son just called me, he said that there was an incident a few minutes ago. He's on his way up."

L nodded, unsure of what to say.

Light did not take long to get to his father's office. When he did, he sat down in the chair next to L. Both of them faced the chief.

"Now that you're both here, please describe what happened," he said to Light.

"L went off yelling that I'd somehow gotten him pregnant and was abandoning him and his baby!" Light said, in a disgusted tone. "He made a huge scene and freaked everyone out. Not only that, he completely embarrassed me! How will the team take me seriously with him shouting things like that?"

'His acting is spot on', L thought to himself.

"I see." The chief looked at L, "And can you explain what happened? Or should I pull up the surveillance footage?"

L sighed.

"What your son has said is correct, but it is not a lie. I am in fact pregnant with his child."

The chief stared at L, the blinked.

"Lawliet, you _do_ understand that men cannot get pregnant, correct?" The chief spoke the way one might to a particularly slow child.

"I have female sexual organs as well as male," L responded. "I can even show you the ultrasound if you don't believe me!"

The chief thought for a moment. This could be the perfect means for ridding himself and his son of the weirdo.

"That's just it, Lawliet. Even if what you're saying is somehow true, you would be unable to remain employed here."

"For yelling about our predicament?" L was starting to feel the anger build up again.

"Either you've finally snapped, or you're a freak of nature. No matter what the case, you're a liability. If word got out that we were keeping a detective with mental illness employed, there would be trouble. And if you were pregnant, then you would inevitably attract attention to your team. Now, to be fair, I will review the footage of what happened, but since you've already admitted what you've done, I'd say that your best course of action is to clear out by the end of the day."

"What?! You need me! The team needs me!" L protested.

The chief shook his head, "As intelligent as you are, you're just too much of a risk. And besides, we have Light. He is smart enough to get us through even our toughest cases."

As if losing his job wasn't bad enough, through the corner of L's eye, he could see Light, sitting there and smirking.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Worry not, Light will get his comeuppance soon. Just not in this chapter. Also, I gave Mello the ability to pick locks. Of him, Matt and Near, Mello is the one I imagined being able to do it.

Ch. 10

L never bothered to say goodbye to anyone. He simply cleared out his few belongings and left the building.

Light was somewhat sad about the scenario, but realistically, it was for the best. And it was not as if he had a shortage of friends. Light could easily find others to hang out with, if he wanted.

As the days went by after L left, Light sometimes thought of him, wondering where he was and if he was okay.

00

Watari had been unable to reach L for over a week. He'd called and called and L's phone always went immediately to voicemail.

With each passing day, the older man grew more nervous. Near had reassured him that L was most likely fine, and wanted to be alone, but Watari still felt that something was off. Finally, he contacted his two other sons, Mello and Matt, and asked them to come to Japan. They'd get to the bottom of whatever was going on together.

00

"Pregnant." Mello repeated.

He, Matt and Near were sitting in their father's living room, listening to the story regarding L.

"Is that possible?" Matt asked.

"He has both sets of organs, remember?" Mello answered.

"Oh. Yeah. I didn't think he could get pregnant though."

"The chances of it occurring are near impossible," Near said, softly. He'd done some research of his own after figuring out his older brother's condition. "In fact, L is the first of his kind."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mello questioned sarcastically. L always did things all the way.

"And you're sure the baby is Light Yagami's?" Matt asked.

"I have no proof, but I cannot imagine who else it would be. Light is L's only friend."

"Have you contacted him?"

"He refuses to answer my calls," Watari sighed. "It's been ten days now and I've still been unable to reach L. I'm worried. I was hoping that you two could check in on him. I did not want to ask the police to go because of his career. I am unsure if his coworkers know of his condition. Plus, you may be able to reason with him if he becomes upset."

"We're not exactly on the best of terms," Mello replied. L always seemed to be the best at everything. Not only that, he seemed to receive all of Watari's attention while he and Matt were forced to fend for themselves.

Then Mello frowned as a realization hit him.

"...But, he's still my brother. I'm in. You?" He questioned Matt.

"Definitely. I think we should go now."

"I want to come too," Near spoke up.

Matt and Mello looked at their youngest sibling. Near was most like L, of all of them.

"Yeah, okay," Matt agreed. "Watari, can you give us a ride to his apartment?"

"Of course."

"And Mello… make sure you bring your lock pick set. We might need it."

00

Watari dropped Near, Mello and Matt off at L's apartment complex. He would have came up with them, but the brothers insisted that he stay put. If something had happened to L, finding him might push Watari over the edge.

Once outside L's apartment, Matt knocked on the door.

No answer.

Sighing, Matt tried again, louder this time.

Nothing.

Then, Mello took over.

"L! This is Mello. I'm with Matt and Near. Either let us in or I'll pick the lock myself."

Surprisingly, there was still no response.

A feeling of fear passed over the three brothers. Mello reluctantly got out his pick set.

Five minutes later they were inside.

L's apartment was in a complete state of disarray. Clothes littered the floor, and bags and boxes of unopened candy and sweets laid on the kitchen table. Yet, there was no sign of L.

"You check the bathroom, I'll check the bedroom," Mello instructed. "Near, come with me."

The three split off.

Mello knocked on the bedroom door. When he got no response, he turned the handle. It was unlocked.

The blonde's eyes widened at what he saw. He'd found L, alright.

"Matt! He's in here!" Mello called out.

L was lying on his bed, curled up, holding a black stuffed bear to his chest. He didn't appear to be moving, though.

Mello ran to his side.

"L! L, it's me! Wake up, L!" He shook the dark haired man.

Slowly, L's eyes cracked open.

"Mel…" He said, weakly.

Matt soon entered the room.

"He's alive," Mello told him.

Both Matt and Near moved closer.

"He's been sick," Near pointed out. There was a small pool of vomit near L's lips. "He is also dehydrated. See?" He pinched the skin on L's arm to demonstrate his point.

"Doesn't look like he's moved in a while," Matt noted.

"Mmm," L sighed. "So tired…"

"L, when's the last time you got out of bed?"

L blinked as he tried to think of the answer to this question.

"Just to use the washroom…" Then he coughed.

"He's got a cold or something too. Great," Matt said.

"I believe it may be worse. He's shivering despite being covered in blankets," Near started again. "We should get him to a hospital."

"I agree," Mello said. "Matt, call Watari. Near, call an ambulance. L," he looked at his older brother, "...It's going to be okay."

00

"Dr. Yamada says that he is lucky to have been brought in when he was," Watari said.

He and his three sons were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. None of them had been allowed to ride in the ambulance with L, and Watari had only gotten to see him once he was stabilized. They'd been at the hospital for hours.

"He looked really bad," Mello replied. "I thought he might be dead."

"He had a high fever from an illness, probably pneumonia. The doctor said that he also appeared malnourished. L will not talk to the doctor yet, so we can only piece together information as we receive it. He has been started on antibiotics to combat the pneumonia. The doctor said that according to his charts, he weighs less than he did when he had his last checkup by six kilos."

"Wow, that's a lot of weight to lose, especially if he's pregnant. Oh, wait…" Matt looked at his father nervously.

Watari knew what Matt was thinking.

"The doctor says that the baby is alive. How, she is unsure. She feels that in almost any woman, such illness and stress on the body would kill the baby. Somehow, L's survived."

"Wow." Was all that Matt could say.

"But… maybe L was trying to… you know," Mello said, looking at his family. "...kill it?"

"L could accomplish that task much more quickly and efficiently by terminating it with medical supervision," Near answered. "I do not think that killing it was his intention."

Watari nodded, "I must agree with Near. I know L well enough to be sure that he attempt such a thing. Something else must have happened. L will hopefully tell us when he is ready. For now, all we can do is be there for him."

The group then sat in silence, until Dr. Yamada came in.

"He's waking up," she announced. "You can go see him if you'd like."

00

L looked horrible. There was no other way to put it. There were various lines attached to his body - an IV connected through a vein on his neck, for instance, and an IV in his arm. An oxygen cannula was placed under L's nose.

His face was gaunt and his arms very thin. Had he not been pregnant, he probably would have looked like a famine victim.

"L," Watari whispered, coming to his son's side.

L looked up at him.

It wasn't long before he noticed the other people in the room.

"Brothers," he said, softly. His voice was raspy and he began to cough.

"Don't talk," Near told him. "Just rest. We're here for you. Thankfully Mello was able to get into your apartment and we got you here on time."

"What were you thinking?" Mello asked.

L opened his mouth but Mello shushed him.

"Tell me when you're well enough. Whatever it is, it better be good. You almost killed yourself!"

L closed his eyes. If Mello, of all people, was saying that he'd screwed up, then he must have been really bad off. He and Mello had never gotten along. The fact that Mello had been concerned enough to pick the locks of his apartment to get in showed that despite their past, the blonde still cared. It made him feel both good and bad at the same time.

Soon, L felt someone take his right hand. Watari. He would recognize his father's touch.

Then, something was placed next to him on his bed. It rubbed on his arm and it only took L a second to figure out what it was: Hero. Someone had brought it along or gone back to Watari's to get it.

Finally, just before L went back to sleep, he felt someone else touch his left hand. He wasn't sure if it was Near, Mello, or Matt, but either way, he was grateful that they were there.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

Light had not seen them coming.

He'd been returning to his apartment after a long day at work, intent on having some dinner and relaxing with Mae, when a blonde haired man jumped out of an alleyway and blocked him.

"What the-" Light started. He was cut off when another man, this one with brown hair and red goggles joined the blonde.

Before Light could get a word out, both men cornered him, forcing him into the alleyway.

"Are you Light Yagami?" The blonde asked, as he and the brunette pushed Light up against a wall.

"Y-yes," Light answered nervously. "Who are you? I work for the NPA, you know!"

The blonde merely smirked. Then he glanced over at the brunette.

"It was easier to track him than we thought."

The brunette smiled back.

"Let's get this done with."

A punch to Light's face forced his head against the wall. Light grunted, but attempted to raise his fists to fight back. The two would have none of it, though. The brunette came up from the side and shoved Light to the ground and the blonde pinned him down.

"This is for what you did," the brunette said, as he kicked Light in the side. "to my brother," another kick, "to his baby," another one, "and to our family!" a final kick, this one to Light's groin.

Light let out a shrill scream from the pain of it. Another fist connected with his face, and he felt two hands take hold of his hair. One of the men lifted his head then smacked it into the concrete ground.

Then, both got up.

"Don't you EVER go near our brother again, or we'll make sure that next time will be far worse," the blonde spat.

Seconds later, Light heard their footsteps as the two walked away.

00

Matt and Mello walked in silence back to Watari's house. They'd done a good deal of damage to Light Yagami, and rightfully so, in their opinions.

Both thought back to that afternoon.

L had been in the hospital for two full days by that point, and was only then well enough to speak.

He explained how he'd come to carry Light's child, and how he'd been fired from the NPA. After that ordeal, he had gone home, turned off his phone and gone to bed.

In the days that followed, L had felt depressed. He'd tried to force himself to eat, vegetables and meat at first, but he couldn't get it down. He felt so upset that he would throw up even the smallest amount of food.

Realizing that his body needed at least some sustenance to survive, L had bought the packages of candy and sweets the Mello, Matt and near had first come across.

But he hadn't been able to eat those, either, no matter how tasty they were. Every time he tried, his stomach would hurt.

There was nothing he could do. He crawled into bed, taking several liters of water with him. It was the only thing that he could keep down, so he placed the containers and a glass on the floor and drank it when he was thirsty. He got up only to use the bathroom.

After three days without food, his body had started to grow weak. By five days, he could barely walk. On the sixth day, the coughing started. He was ashamed to admit that he hadn't left the bed since, and that the soiled mattress would probably have to be thrown out.

Everyone, including Near, was stunned. No one had ever expected that the great L could become so weak.

"I had never felt love before," L explained. "Not in a romantic sense. It is such a strong emotion, and it hurts so badly."

L had begun to cry after that, so his family encouraged him to stop talking. Watari dabbed tears off of his son's face while Near continued to hold his hand.

"L," Matt said, softly, "You know...love… it isn't always painful. Light's just a bad person, but there are good people out there, too. What I am trying to say is that you should not give up on it, just yet."

L said nothing. All he could think of was how angry he was, mostly at himself. Somehow the baby had survived. L had no idea how that had happened. The doctors seemed stunned, too. Watari seemed reluctant to question such a miracle and simply felt happy that his son and future grandchild would recover.

"There's something else we should discuss," Watari said, after L had gone back to sleep. "I do not think he should be left alone. Perhaps you three could help him move into my home. That way, I can keep watch over him."

"No," Near spoke up. "L would not go for that. He likes having his own space. But, he might be willing to allow one of us to move in. Myself, in particular. L and I have always gotten along."

Watari considered this.

"Near's probably right," Mello replied. "Plus, L can't lean on you for everything. He's an adult, father. Perhaps living with Near would be beneficial for them both. It would give Near more real world experience, and L would have a companion with a similar personality."

"I will mention it to L when he wakes up, then," Watari answered.

"Good. But in the meantime, we have something to take care of." Mello looked at Matt, "We'll be back soon."

00

As Light limped home, he thought over his current predicament. His first and foremost thought was what to tell Mae. He'd need a story that he could tell her, and tell the other officers if need be. Something believable, something that no one would really look too much into. Mentioning L or his adopted brothers was out of the question. It would surely lead to more problems and the truth about L's pregnancy might somehow get out.

Then, a thought crossed Light's mind.

A mugging. That made sense. He could state that he was mugged while walking home from work, and give a fake description of his attacker if pressed. Mae would believe it. Sweet, lovable Mae who never doubted him for a second. When he spoke to his coworkers he could give them a fairly generic description, making it hard to trace any potential suspects. Eventually, the case would be dropped, especially if Light didn't push the issue too much.

00

Mae was all over Light the second that she saw how badly injured he was.

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?" She asked, as she helped walk Light towards the washroom. She could undress him and clean for any wounds there.

"I was walking home from HQ and was mugged," he explained. He watched as she pushed down on the lid of the toilet, and cringed as she gently helped him sit. "I tried to fight back but he was much stronger than me." Light gave her his saddest look.

Mae pouted sympathetically.

"That's terrible, Light. You're going to file a report, right?"

"I will," he answered, cringing again as Mae began helping him remove his shirt, "...But I need to rest first. It hurts all over."

"My poor Light. You're cut and bruised all over. Do you think you broke any bones?"

"I don't think so. The back of my head hurts."

"Hm." Mae softly touched his head, feeling for bumps or other injuries.

"Ah!" Light cried out, as she hit a particularly bruised area.

Mae sighed and got out a small flashlight. As gently as she could, she examined the area where Light had injured himself.

"You have a bump. You might have a concussion. Let me bandage your other cuts and you can lie down. I still have some painkillers left from my root canal, they will help your pain."

Light forced a smile, "Thanks, Mae. I couldn't get by without you."

Mae smiled back at him, her big green eyes twinkling.

"It's no problem at all, my love. Anything for you."

00

The painkillers calmed Light considerably, and allowed him to rest fairly well for the rest of the evening. By the next morning, he felt confident that he could make it through the work day, so long as there were no strenuous assignments.

Mae hadn't liked it, but she knew that she could not deter Light from going. He was very strong willed. He had promised to file a report about the attack that day as well, so she was happy about that.

As Light showered, Mae prepared his lunch for the day. When she finished, an idea came to her. She had recently gotten her first paycheck from her new graphic design job, and since Light had been mugged, it might be nice if she put some money in his wallet, so that he wouldn't have to worry about paying for anything that he might need. A little love note might be nice too, to remind him how much she cared for him. Maybe it would make him smile.

She set to work writing the note, and when it was finished, she took it, along with 2500 yen over to Light's wallet. As she opened to it place the items inside, she noticed something interesting.

All of Light's money was still there, as were his credit cards. If he had been mugged, wouldn't all of that have been taken?

'How very strange,' she thought to herself.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

L woke up as one of the nurses came in to change his IV. As he opened his eyes, he realized that both Near and Watari were still in the room, both sleeping next to his bed. They'd apparently stayed the night.

L would have been happy to let them both continue sleeping, but the nurse's footsteps soon woke them as well.

"Good morning, Lawliet-san," she greeted L.

"Good morning," he replied.

"And how are you feeling?" She asked as she removed his old IV bag and replaced it.

"A little bit better, thank you. Stronger. Hopefully I may be released soon?"

"You will be released once you've gained enough weight back and your vitamin levels return to normal. Which brings me to my next item of business - we'll be removing the IV that's been delivering nutrients to you. You'll begin eating real food today. And you'll also have another ultrasound. We need to check on your baby."

L frowned. That all sounded like a lot, even if he was feeling stronger.

Suddenly, he felt Near's hand on his.

"It'll be okay, L," the younger man reassured him. "We'll be here with you."

Somehow, that knowledge helped L feel better.

"Alright," he agreed. He addressed the nurse, "I'm ready when you are."

00

Mae was unsure whether or not she should say anything to Light about what she had found. She wondered why he would lie about being mugged. Who was he beaten by, and why couldn't he tell her the truth?

Finally, she decided to speak up as she served Light breakfast.

"Light," she said, as kindly as possible, "I am sorry to pry, but...Well, this is embarrassing, I guess, but I was going to put a little love note and some money in your wallet this morning - as you know, I just received my paycheck, and I thought perhaps you would have a better day if you did not have to try to argue with the bank regarding your accounts, if the robber had gotten into them."

Light was staring at her, his expression saying 'get on with the story'.

"Anyway, as I went to place the note and money in, I noticed that all of your money and credit cards were still there, and you said that you were mugged…" She trailed off.

Light was enraged. Both at himself, for assuming that Mae wouldn't check his wallet - she'd seemed so trusting before! - And at Mae for her actions, even if they were innocent in nature. He bit the inside of his mouth in an attempt to calm himself.

"Are-are you alright?" Mae asked, seeing Light's expression change.

Light took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

"Mae, you're right, I did lie," he began. "The person who beat me up last night wasn't a mugger. He was… a suspect. Yes, someone we have yet to charge due to lack of evidence. However, we are sure that he committed the crime. He must have followed me home and wanted to exact his revenge for being put under the spotlight."

"So then cleaning your wounds was a bad idea," Mae stated.

"Hm?"

"Well, because if you fought back there might have been some evidence on your body that we removed. Maybe we should clip your fingernails? If you scratched him there may be some DNA. He could be charged with assaulting an officer and could be taken into custody while you continued your search for evidence. I thought it was just a simple mugging, that a description of the mugger would suffice and so your physical needs took priority. But now, I fear we made a mistake."

"Since when did you know so much about forensics?" Light asked.

"It's basic logic, really."

Light sighed. Time to lay on the charm and hopefully Mae would drop the subject.

"I did actually call the team on my way back home. They examined the crime scene for clues. At the time, all I wanted was to get back here, home to you, so that maybe you could take care of me. I was hurt all over and wanted to rest, and I knew you'd make me feel better. You're so good at that, Mae. Always making me feel better no matter what. I was planning on telling the team more about it this morning."

"Oh," Mae said, softly. "I'm sorry to have questioned you. I understand, now. I do hope that you can arrest the suspect. You should take the car to work and home. You'll be safe that way. I can walk."

"You'd have to take two trains to get to work and walk half a mile," Light replied. "I don't want to put that burden on you. I doubt that they will attack me again in broad daylight, and I can get my father or Matsuda to give me a ride home."

"No, no. You take the car. They won't be looking for me and I'll be mostly on the trains. I'll be safe. I can't get through the day knowing that there is any chance that you might not be. Please, take it." Mae reached into her pocket and handed him the keys she'd been carrying.

"Alright, if you insist," Light said. He took the keys and glanced at the clock. "Actually, I should be leaving." He stood up and Mae walked him to the door. "Thank you for being so kind, Mae. I love you."

Mae leaned in to give him a kiss, "I love you too, Light. Be safe today."

"I will," came Light's response.

Once the door was closed, Mae walked back into the apartment and sat down. She'd have to do some research. Maybe there would be something in the news about a criminal that had yet to be apprehended. At least then she would have somewhat of a clue as to what was going on.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I am in a lot of pain, so please forgive me if I take a bit to update. Between work and pain it is getting harder for me to write.

Ch. 13

L was finally being released from the hospital.

He'd been there for two weeks before the doctor felt confident in letting him go.

During that time, a lot had happened.

On the day of the ultrasound, L had finally found out the gender of his child. He hadn't been expecting to find it out - in fact, he hadn't even thought much about it. He just assumed that he would love the child no matter what. But, when the ultrasound technician offered to let him know, he decided to go for it. Such knowledge could help him prepare for the future, after all.

It was a girl. She was five months along and had been stressed from L's sickness and starvation, but she was going to be alright.

Finding out that he was going to have a daughter made something in L's mind click into place. From that day forward, he made it his mission to regain his health if only for her benefit.

The doctor, Watari and Near had all been pleasantly surprised when L started to eat regularly. Even though he was allowed sweets - the doctor was trying to get him to gain weight in any way that she could - he rarely ate them. Rather, he stuck to healthier foods.

Even more surprising was that L agreed to allow Near to move in with him. He didn't even seem to give it a second thought.

"Are you sure?" Watari asked, stunned that L had consented to what was, essentially, an invasion of his personal space.

"Yes. It's clear that I'll be needing help in the coming months. Having Near living with me would be beneficial for us both. He would become more independent… and perhaps he could teach me, too."

Watari was pleased. Near was much like L in that they were both loners, both highly intelligent, but he had pushed Near to learn basic things like cooking, shopping and banking. He could help L and both could learn more along the way. Together they might improve each other's lives.

So, Mello and Matt were commissioned to start the moving process. This included cleaning out L's apartment and bringing in Near's stuff. Near oversaw the process and helped, mainly with cleaning. As far as his belongings went, he was mostly concerned about his various action figures and toys. Since L's apartment wasn't that big, he compromised by allowing the toys to be stored in a large trunk that he could access easily.

"He better be grateful for this," Mello said, as he and Matt moved the futon that they had just assembled. It was where Near would be sleeping. L's apartment only had one bedroom, so they replaced his couch with a futon. It could be used to sit on during the day and as Near's bed at night.

"I think he is," Matt replied. "He actually seemed happy to see us the last few times we were there."

"I know, I was tempted to take a photo of him since I'll probably never see it happen again," Mello joked.

"There we go," Matt and Mello got the futon to where they wanted it, "All done."

They looked around the apartment. The place had been cleaned from top to bottom. L's bed, frame and all had been removed and a replaced with a new one that Watari had purchased. Near had stocked the kitchen with basic cooking essentials. Two sets of sweat pants and extra large t-shirts lay in L's dresser, courtesy of Matt.

All was ready for L and Near to move in.

00

Mae had been researching for weeks. She'd bought copies of all of the newspapers and looked over any articles about crimes that Light's team might possibly be investigating. There were a few that stuck out - a couple of murders and a heist at a jewelry store, but none of them seemed tied to any past crimes.

She'd also tried the internet, but it seemed as though the past weeks had been pretty quiet in terms of large scale criminal activities. That meant that Light's team was probably keeping the crime he had told her about a secret.

Mae wanted to ask Light more about it. Every day, she feared for him. She'd been taking the trains and walking so that there was a better chance of him remaining safe, but she still worried that maybe the person who attacked him would make his way into HQ and try again.

It was a stupid thought. The team would easily be able to subdue one person, but it bothered her. Light was her world, her everything, but he would be angry if she questioned him. He had seemed so upset that she had found out the truth of what happened that she did not want to push him further.

Then one morning, she had an idea. She could contact L.

She had met L a few times, but only briefly. He seemed somewhat odd, kind of quiet. Every time they met he seemed to stare at her, as if he were judging her somehow, though he never outright said anything about it. He was cordial to her and succinct when answering questions. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what it was that Light saw in him, but it didn't matter. If L was Light's good friend, he certainly would not begrudge her for trying to ensure Light's safety. Plus, he would be less apt to let it slip that she had called, unlike someone like Matsuda.

Once Light had gone to work she opened up her laptop and went to the NPA homepage. Light's task force had its own contact list. She skimmed it, looking for L's extension, but found nothing. Only Light, Mogi, Matsuda and Aizawa were listed. How odd! She would have thought that Light would have told her if L had quit.

Mae frowned. This whole search for answers had left her with nothing but more questions.

00

L's eyes grew wide as he looked over his apartment.

Watari had just taken him up to it. Near, Matt and Mello were all waiting there.

"You cleaned it very thoroughly," L noted. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

"Yeah well you know, you're getting a fresh start and all that so it only seemed right," Matt replied.

"Mello, you helped with this?" L turned his attention to the blonde.

Mello shrugged and Matt rolled his eyes.

"Mello did just as much work as I did. He and I put together your new bed and the futon and Near's trunk."

L was truly surprised.

"I… Thank you, Mello," he said, sincerely.

"No problem," Mello muttered. The situation made him somewhat uncomfortable. Even though he'd grown closer to L as of late, he still felt like the odd person out amongst his family at times.

Watari placed a hand on L's shoulder.

"Your brothers have been very kind to you." He smiled at the three of them.

"After what Light did to you, you deserve it," Matt replied.

L half smiled.

"Light will regret his actions eventually."

"Oh, I'm sure he's already begun to," Mello said, smirking at the thought of what he and Matt had done.

L looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Matt elbowed Mello in an attempt to keep him from answering. Neither of them had told L about how they'd beaten Light up. They figured that he would probably be upset by the idea of it, even if the man had royally screwed him over.

"Mello's just saying that karma has probably begun to kick Light in the ass."

L stared at him for a second.

"You're lying. What did you really mean?"

"Why do you think I'm lying?"

"Why are you deflecting my question?"

"Boys," Watari started, "Stop it. L, don't worry. I'm sure that Matt is telling the truth."

"Matt and Mello tracked Light down and beat him up," Near spoke up.

Both Matt and Mello shot him death glares.

Near sighed.

"L is very intelligent and would have eventually figured out what you had done." He turned to L, "Matt and Mello were trying to avenge you. Try not to be too angry. I doubt that Light reported the incident. If he did, he lied about what happened and who was involved. He does not want anyone to investigate you or your family, lest the truth of what happened between you two be known."

"Fucking logic," Matt muttered.

"I'm not upset," L said, as if he could read what was on Matt and Mello's minds. "I don't condone what you did, but I appreciate your general sentiment towards me. Near is correct, Light will probably not report it. If he had, you would have been taken into custody already."

When there was no response, L began walking towards his bedroom. "Now, if you'll all be so kind, I'd like to rest. Feel free to stay if you'd like, though - oh."

"What is it?" Mello asked, noticing that L had stopped moving.

L placed a hand on his stomach.

"I think she kicked."

Everyone gathered closer to him, watching as he flinched yet again a second later.

"Yes… definitely kicking."

"Does it hurt?" Near asked.

"Not really."

"Can… Can I feel it?" The younger boy looked hopeful.

"I suppose."

L took Near's hand and guided it to the area of his stomach where the baby had last made herself known. It wasn't long before Near felt it.

"Wow!"

L smiled at Near's reaction.

"Go lie down," Watari told him. "You rest. We'll take care of making some dinner and eat together tonight, like old times."

L nodded in agreement.

"That sounds good." He turned to his brothers one last time, "Thank you all, again."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Still in pain but am slowly managing to get chapters done. Bear with me...

Ch. 14

When Light had shown up at work having been beaten, he'd immediately been questioned. He told the lie that he'd originally told Mae - that he'd been mugged - and he gave a generic description of the person who'd attacked him. His colleagues were concerned for his well-being and followed up on the case, but they had yet to find the perpetrator.

Since Light had not pushed them on it, they had all but forgotten the case.

A few times, L was brought up. Mainly by Matsuda and Mogi, who wondered how L was doing. Light explained that after L's outburst, he hadn't had any contact with him. No one said anything more regarding it.

So, Light assumed that all was well.

00

"Hello?" Mogi answered his phone after the third ring. He didn't recognize the number that was coming up, but that was not unusual. A lot of times random field investigators called them from various crime scenes.

"Is this Mogi-san?" A female voice asked.

"Speaking. Who is this?"

"This is Mae Ochi, Light Yagami's fiance."

"Oh. I can connect you to Light -"

"No!" Mae insisted. "Please just listen. Can Light hear you?"

Mogi looked around and noted that Light was currently not in the room.

'He's not here right now, so no."

"I really feel bad for prying, but I've been worried. And I'm sorry to bother you with it, but I couldn't find L's contact info. I guess he quit the team? Anyway, I wanted to know if you'd made any progress in catching the suspect who had beaten Light up. I'm very worried about him but I don't want to ask him about it. He seems to get upset if I mention it."

"Uhh." Mogi was unsure of what to say. He had no idea what Mae was talking about.

"Are you there?" She asked.

"Um, yes. Regarding L, didn't Light tell you what happened?"

"No?"

"Oh, man. He probably had his reasons… Let's just say that L didn't leave on good terms. That was over a month ago. As far as this suspect you're talking about goes, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Do you mean the man who mugged Light?"

"Yes, that's him. Light said that he was a suspect in another crime but that you hadn't been able to arrest the man yet due to lack of evidence. Is he behind bars, now? I hope so...I can barely sleep because I am so nervous."

"Uh. This is awkward. Light only told us that he was robbed. He never mentioned that the man was a suspect in another crime. We've been treating it like a typical robbery case and searching based on Light's description."

Mae felt her heart start to race. Light had lied to her. And lied to his team, apparently.

After a minute of silence, Mogi spoke again.

"Miss Ochi, are you alright?"

"...Yes," she whispered. "I should go. Please don't tell Light I called. He'll get upset. Promise me?"

"Yeah, sure. I promise."

"Thanks Mogi. You're a good guy."

Mogi smiled.

"Sure thing, Miss Ochi. Have a good day."

Both of them hung up, their heads filled with questions.

00

Watari was sitting on his porch when he saw the young woman walk up his path. The first thing he noticed was how beautiful she was. Exotic looking. Not like the typical Japanese girls that usually hung around Mello and Matt. No, this woman was different. Her long, flowing hair and green eyes set her apart.

"Watari-san?" Mae asked.

"Yes, that is me," the older man replied. "Is there something that I may help you with?"

Mae nodded.

"My name is Mae Ochi. I am Light Yagami's fiance. I believe that he and your son L are - or were - friends. Some recent events have confused me, and I was hoping to ask L some questions."

Watari sized the girl up. She seemed to be honest regarding her intentions.

"Does Light know that you are here?"

"No, actually. I took the day off of work so that he wouldn't find out. I… I don't think that he wants me poking around too much, but a lot has been bothering me. It's as if every time I try to find an answer to my question, I get more questions! And L is very intelligent, I thought that perhaps he would have some real answers."

"Mmm. Why don't you come inside? There's a lot I think we ought to discuss."

00

"Now," Watari said, as he poured Mae a cup of tea, "What is your question?"

Mae took a deep breath.

"Well, it started out as nothing big, really. Light was attacked while walking home from work a few weeks ago. He came home battered and bruised, and I tended to him. He told me that he was mugged. When I tried to slip some money into his wallet, I noticed that all of his money and credit cards were still there. I questioned him, and he told me that the mugger had actually been a suspect that he and the team were working on apprehending. He seemed to get upset if I mentioned it, but I was worried, so I looked for L's contact information on the NPA directory. I saw that he was not listed, so I called Mogi-san. He told me that L had left the team on bad terms and that there was no suspect related to the mugging! So now I am very confused and worried."

Watari took a sip of tea.

"I see. Did Light tell you anything else?"

"No, not really. If I bring it up he becomes annoyed. I've given him my car to use to drive to and from work but I fear that I cannot relax until I know for certain that the man who beat him is locked up."

Watari pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I see."

"Can you help me?"

"I can, but there's a lot to this, and I'm not sure if you'd want to know it. You love Light, correct?"

"Of course I do. We're to be married in four months."

"And you're happy with him? What I'd tell you - it might change that."

Mae bit her lip.

"I… I guess I ought to know the truth of the matter," she answered.

"As you wish. Now, regarding L," Watari began.

00

Mae left Watari's house feeling a combination of shock, pain and disbelief. The idea that L could be pregnant, with Light's child no less, was stunning. Mae felt as if she'd have to see it for herself. Watari must have sensed this because he gave her his contact information in case she had further questions. Or, in case she wanted to initiate contact with L.

Watari wasn't sure how well that would go, but he trusted that his son would manage to be civil to Mae. After all, she was a victim to an extent, too, though her situation was not as bad as L's.

Mae arrived at her apartment an hour before Light arrived. She busied herself with making dinner, all the while trying to think of what she should do. Just as she finished preparing their meal, a thought popped into her head. Maybe she could get more information by making suggestions and watching Light's reaction to them. Light was a good liar, it seemed, but if she caught him off guard, she might be able to see some cracks in his facade.

00

Light smiled as he dug into the meal that Mae had prepared. It was his favorite - nitsuke - and Mae always cooked it perfectly.

"Thank you," he told her, giving her a smile.

Mae smiled back and took a sip of the saki she'd taken out.

"So, I had a thought earlier," she told him.

"Oh?"

"I was thinking that we should have our friends over for a party. We can invite Hiroyuki and Tadaaki and my friend from work, Jackie. Oh! You can invite L, too! Maybe he and Jackie would get along. She's from England too."

Light hadn't been paying much attention until L's name had come up. Then he looked Mae straight in the eyes. After a short delay, he spoke.

"Yes, we can do something if you'd like."

Mae caught Light's expression and the lack of enthusiasm behind his answer, but decided to continue on.

"If you give me Hiroyuki and L's phone numbers, I can call them and set it up. Maybe we can have everyone over in two weeks? On a Saturday, of course."

Light forced a smile.

"I'll take care of inviting Hiro and L. I'm not sure if L will make be able to make it, though. Don't get Jackie's hopes up."

"Oh? Is he alright?"

"He's… a bit indisposed as of late," Light replied. "It's a long story. I'll ask him, at least."

Mae knew that Light had no intention of doing so. His answer was a cop-out.

"Well, see if maybe he can make some time. He doesn't seem to get out too much, does he? It would be good if he made some new friends."

"Yeah," Light agreed. "I'll see what he says."

Mae smiled again, though now it hurt to do so. Something was definitely off. She might just have to pay L a visit and see for herself what was really going on.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

As planned, Light never invited L to the get together that Mae had suggested. Rather, he'd told her that L wasn't feeling particularly social as of late and had declined to come.

Mae figured that this was a lie, but she went along with it and pretended to believe her fiance. The party was held, and it was fun, but Mae couldn't help thinking about what Watari had told her. The thought that L might be pregnant with Light's child, or even just involved sexually with Light in some way, chewed away at her. She had never suspected Light of being unfaithful, nevermind being unfaithful with another man.

It wasn't until nearly a month after she and Watari had met that she managed to get in contact with L and arrange to meet with him.

00

Mae had done her best to brace herself for what she would see, but she was still stunned when L answered the door. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that looked a bit too tight. It highlighted his distended abdomen. Mae's jaw nearly dropped.

"Hi…" She mumbled.

"Hello," L replied.

He had agreed to let Mae visit him only because she had been innocent in all that had happened. Also, it would probably push her to leave Light. L didn't want Light for himself, but he did want Light to be punished for his actions.

Mae stood in the doorway for another minute, taking everything in.

"What your father said… He wasn't lying, was he?"

"Clearly not."

Mae just continued to stare, unsure of what to say or do.

Finally, Near came to the rescue.

"Would you like to come inside?"

Mae nodded and removed her shoes, then stepped into the apartment. Near closed the door behind her.

Near led Mae and L over to their living room center. He'd cleaned up his action figures, only keeping a set of dice that he continually played with.

"This is my brother, Nate," L said, once they were all sitting. "I don't believe you've met before. He prefers to be called 'Near'."

"Hello," Mae whispered.

As she looked around, she noticed that various baby-related items had been set up. There was a stroller sitting in the corner of the room and a box that looked like it contained a disassembled crib leaning up against the wall.

She began to feel sick. All of those items were for L's baby. L and Light's baby. She felt liked she had to vomit.

Near realized something was wrong.

"The bathroom is the first door on the left," he motioned towards the hallway.

"Thanks," Mae squeaked, before running off.

"How'd you know?" L asked.

Near shrugged, "You get that same pale look before you get sick. I guess she's not taking this well."

L nodded, "I can't say that I blame her."

00

Mae attempted to compose herself before returning to face L and Near. It took a while, but she eventually felt like she could at least speak to them without screaming.

She walked back to the living room to see that Near had poured her a cup of peppermint tea.

"It helps L when he gets sick," Near explained.

"...Thanks," Mae answered. She picked up the mug and took a sip. It was actually decent.

"So… L… I guess you're about six months along, now?" She asked.

"Six months and three days."

Mae nodded.

"And… the baby… it's healthy?"

"Yes, thankfully. We had a bit of a scare several weeks ago, when I was in the hospital, but that was mostly my fault. I did not handle Light's rejection very well."

"I see."

Mae took a deep breath. She felt somewhat bad for L, but at the same time, she felt angry at him.

"Did you want to talk about the baby, or something else?" L asked, after an awkward silence.

"I wanted to hear the full story from you. And I wanted to know the background behind it. How long were you and Light seeing each other?"

"'Seeing each other' is not really the correct phrase. It makes it sound like Light and I were romantically involved, which we weren't. I assume you mean to ask how long we were having a sexual relationship for?"

Mae clenched her jaw.

"Yes."

"For approximately two years and three months, on and off."

"Light and I have been together for three years. So he started sleeping with you seven months into our relationship," Mae stated.

"Yes."

"How often?"

"As I said, it was on and off. Usually it would happen after we solved large cases. Our team would go out and we would have a few drinks, then we would come back here."

Mae glanced down at the futon she was currently sitting on and cringed.

"He means his bedroom, not literally right there," Near said. "We just installed that two months ago."

"I see. And you probably planned to continue seeing each other even after Light and I were married,correct?"

L frowned.

"The whole thing with this," he gestured to his stomach, "happened before you became engaged. To be honest, I had hoped that Light would leave you and stay with me. Then he traveled to the US, and you announced your engagement. I told him about the baby that day, and he told me that he would go with me when I had it terminated."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Tell her the truth," Near suggested.

L looked down at his hands, unable to look Mae in the eyes.

"Light told me that we could continue having sexual encounters after you were married, yes."

Mae nodded, taking this information in.

"Do you love him?" She questioned.

"I did."

"But you no longer do."

"I...I don't know. He hurt me very badly, he turned me away when I needed him most. Yet, I still care for him on some level. Part of him grows inside of me, this child is just as much his as it is mine. I suppose that I love him, but feel very angry and betrayed, and I am not sure if I could forgive it."

Mae's hands started to shake, so she put her tea cup down.

"How do you think I feel?"

The question got both L and Near's immediate attention.

"I think what Light did was wrong, and I am angry at him, but you were wrong too! You knew that we were together, yet you did not reject his advances. Even after we moved in together, you continued to sleep with him! Was it not clear that we were planning to marry eventually?"

"I- He-" L started, but Mae cut him off.

"No. You deserve pain for this. So does Light." Mae picked up her cell phone, quickly turned on the camera and snapped a picture of L. His stomach was large enough to where he could no longer sit in his usual position. Instead, he sat like a normal person would, with both feet on the ground. His stomach was clearly visible.

"What are you going to do with that?" L asked, referring to the photo.

"I'm going to make sure that everyone knows the truth."

With that, Mae stood up, picked up her purse and left the apartment.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

L was nervous, that much Near could tell. The older man was sitting on the futon, biting his thumb and staring into space.

L had been like that for hours. He had refused any dinner, stating that he wasn't hungry, which was somewhat unusual. Lately it seemed like L was always hungry and was always asking Near to cook him something or asking Near to buy him takeaway.

"Are you sure that you don't want something to eat? We have extra cupcakes," Near told him.

"No," L replied.

Near sighed and picked up his box of K'Nex, then sat down on the floor in front of L.

"Are you worried that Light will come after you?"

"Yes."

"We can call Matt and Mello. They'll stand guard, I'm sure." The two had extended their stay in Japan and were living with Watari until L's child was born. That act alone proved their love for their brother, as if all their other help hadn't.

"It's not just that," L added.

"What is it, then?" Near began building the frame for a rollercoaster with his toys.

"I'm worried about everyone at the NPA finding out about me," L answered. "The public might find out. I'm surprised that one of the doctors has not leaked information already. I am a freak, after all."

"You're just… special."

"I'm literally a freak of nature. There's no need to sugar coat it."

Near shrugged. So much for trying to be nice.

"We could always leave Japan if we had to. We could go back to England. I'm sure that Matt and Mello could set us up with someplace there."

"I know."

"So there is nothing to worry about. We could drop from public sight until everything blew over. then you'd just be a normal single parent."

"I feel guilty, too," L admitted.

"Because of Mae?"

"Yes. She was right to be upset. I should not have slept with Light."

"That is true," Near said, as he continued to build, "But you are forgetting that your situation was different than most."

"How so?"

"You said yourself that you had never felt romantic love for another person before. Nor did you have any friends. You are inexperienced with many aspects of life that most people at your age already know much about. You made a friend, and he showed you attention, and you went with your feelings. It was wrong, yes, but you would have a harder time understanding that, or even thinking about it."

"Since when did you become so insightful?"

"I have always watched how people interact and I have always tried to understand them, both from a detective's perspective, and from a human perspective."

"I believe that I have only done the former."

"Luckily, I'm here to teach you," Near replied.

00

First things first, Mae had to secure a place to go. Once she initiated her plan, Light would surely kick her out. Finding a place to live before he could seemed like the best route to go. This took a day, but she managed to find shelter at Jackie's apartment. She had not explained much about the situation other than that she had caught Light cheating on her with another man, and that she wanted out.

Jackie had kindly slipped her a copy of the key to her apartment.

Next came the harder part of packing. Knowing that she could not take much more time off of work, she would have to complete packing and moving on the one day that Light worked and she did not. She would also need her car.

It had gotten harder and harder for Mae to keep up the charade that all was well between her and Light. Every time she saw him, she felt pain. All she could think of was how he had betrayed her. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that he would soon get his comeuppance.

Getting the car was easier than expected. She told Light that she would need it for the day, as she planned to pick up a few of her art pieces from her job during her time off. Not suspecting anything, Light gave her the keys.

Mae walked him to the door and kissed him goodbye. It was to be their last kiss.

00

As soon as Light left, Mae got to work. She threw her clothing into the large suitcase that she kept for when she visited her parents in the US. She packed up her artwork and jewelry as well, with the exception of her engagement ring. She left that on the kitchen table for Light.

Her last act was to remove all of the photos of herself and Light and place them face down.

Bags in hand, she walked out the door, leaving her key on top of the door's ledge for Light to find.

00

When Mae arrived at Jackie's house, the first thing she did was get out her laptop. She had emailed herself the photo that she had taken of L, and she began working on blowing it up so that it could be clearly seen.

When she completed that, she went to the NPA's directory and looked up Mogi, Aizawa and Matsuda's email addresses.

Her hands shook and her heart raced as she typed up the email to them. It was short and sweet, stating only that 'L wasn't lying' and here was the proof. As a final measure, she carbon copied Soichiro.

The only one left out was Light. Mae thought it might have a bigger impact if he heard about the photo from all of his coworkers rather than receiving it directly.

When she was satisfied with what she had written, she took a deep breath and hit 'send'.


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

L had not been sleeping well. While that had been normal for him prior to becoming pregnant, he usually tended to get at least six hours of sleep now. But he had been awake the entire night after Mae had visited, then for the night after that as well.

Matt and Mello had come over after Near had called them, and both had attempted to calm L down, but it was to no avail.

On the morning of the second day, he also refused to eat again. Besides feeling afraid, he now felt tired and cranky. It was starting to get on Matt, Mello and Near's nerves.

"L. Eat the cupcake," Mello said, placing a plate with a strawberry frosted vanilla cupcake on it in front of him.

"I'm not hungry," L replied. Right then, his stomach growled. L blushed but said nothing.

"You _are_ hungry, but you're nervous. You need to calm down. Matt and I are here in case Light tries anything. We'll protect you."

"What if it's not enough?" L asked.

Matt cocked his gun, "Oh, it's enough."

L frowned and looked at the cupcake again. It did look good. He was just about to take a bite when the baby kicked him, this time directly in the ribs.

"Ow!" He yelled, dropping the dessert.

Everyone turned their attention towards him.

"She kicked me in the ribs," he explained, flinching as she did it yet again. "She must have inherited my athletic abilities."

"She's mad because she's hungry and tired just like you. Now eat your food. After that, you're going to take a nap," Matt told him.

"I'm not a child," L huffed, crossing his arms. "I don't need a nap time or for you to tell me when to eat."

"Yeah, I'll be honest, you've been in a pissy mood since yesterday and none of us feel like dealing with it," Mello said.

L's shoulders slumped and he reluctantly picked up the cupcake again, this time managing to take a bite without any interruptions. After taking the first bite, he quickly realized that his brothers were right - he was very hungry. He finished it off in record time, then went for another one. No one stopped him. They were just happy that he was eating.

When he finished, Near ushered him out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. He even went so far as to help tuck L in.

He pushed Hero into L's arms and sat down on the edge of the bed, then rested a hand on L's shoulder. L yawned.

"Rest, L. Matt, Mello and I will be awake. If anything happens, we'll wake you up. Just try to sleep for now."

L yawned again and nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Thank you for being here," he said, closing his eyes.

00

"Holy shit," Aizawa said, as he opened the email he had received from Mae. "Matsuda, Mogi - do you see this?!"

The fact that Aizawa had called everyone's name except Light's caught Light's attention. He listened for what would come next.

"Whoa…" Mogi said, as he opened up his copy of the message. "No way! If that's true then -" he turned to Light, "You're an ass!"

"Excuse me?" Light asked, "What are you talking about?"

By now, Matsuda had also opened his email.

"Oh man… but guys, maybe L's just.. like… really fat or something. He eats sugar all the time, maybe it finally caught up with him."

Light felt a pang of nervousness in his stomach. What was his team looking at?! What did it have to do with L?

"Show me what you were sent," he demanded, walking over to Matsuda's work station. Matsuda moved out of the way.

Light maximized the photo so that it took up the entire screen. He could feel his blood pressure rising and his heart beating faster as he took in what had been done.

"That bitch," he hissed.

Then, as if on cue, Light's extension rang. It was his father, demanding that Light come to his office immediately.

00

Light braced himself for what he was able to go through. His father was definitely going to be angry. Probably more like furious, actually.

He slowly opened the door and walked in.

"Close the door," Soichiro instructed.

Light did as he was told and stood in front of his father's desk, waiting for the screaming to begin.

"You lied."

Light said nothing.

"You lied about L. You said that he was lying, that there was no way he could be pregnant. You left him to deal with his pregnancy by himself. You lied to Mae as well." The words were spoken calmly, much to Light's surprise.

"I did. But don't you understand? I never wanted this! L told me he couldn't get pregnant!"

Soichiro stared at his son.

"You realize that your mother and I would not have cared if you preferred men."

"I don't only prefer men. I like women too. Besides that, you've always wanted me to give you a grandson, someone to carry on the family name. Don't tell me that you don't. Why aren't you yelling, anyway?"

"You're right, I would like a grandson to carry on our name, but I also wanted you to be happy. If that meant being with another man, I would not have stood in your way. And I am not yelling because… because I am not angry. I am disappointed, both in you and in myself. I let my dislike of L cloud my judgement. I should have listened to him or at least allowed him to provide proof of his pregnancy."

Oddly, Light would have preferred that his father yell at him. Having to see the disappointed look on his father's face hurt even more than a beating would have.

"I'm sorry, dad," Light said, softly.

"You should be apologizing to L and to Mae, not to me."

Light nodded. He still felt angry, but his father's reaction had knocked him back some.

"I will," Light promised.

Soichiro sighed.

"You know that this also means that we'll both be losing our jobs."

Light hadn't thought of that. Once the higher ups found out about what had happened, they'd likely fire both Light and his father for their actions. And even if they didn't, Light could not imagine working with Matsuda, Mogi and Aizawa again. Especially Aizawa. He was a family man through and through. He'd probably hate Light after this.

Light grit his teeth, trying to push down the myriad of emotions he was feeling.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't think -"

"That's just it," Soichiro cut him off, "You didn't think. Nor did I. Now we'll both pay the price."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: This will have a happy ending. Also, I'm taking ideas for names. If you have an idea for L's baby's name, post it. I'll give you credit if I use it :)

Ch. 18

Light left the building before any team members could speak to him. He had to get to Mae or L. He knew deep down that the only way his father would forgive him is if he took responsibility for his actions.

Light ran all the way back to his apartment. He was out of breath when he arrived and did not notice the key placed on the ledge above the door.

He walked inside and called out for Mae, but received no response. Then he caught a glimpse of their living room - all photos of them had been taken down.

"Fuck," he mumbled.

He walked around looking for something - anything that might tell him where Mae had gone to. When he came to the kitchen, he saw her ring lying on the table. It was then that he knew for sure that it did not matter where Mae was. She was never going to come back.

00

Light called Mae, but the call went directly to voicemail. Knowing that he would be unlikely to get in touch with her anytime soon, he decided that his next stop would be L's apartment.

He wasn't sure how he was going to deal with L, yet. He still felt some remnants of anger at the entire situation, but he vowed to keep calm lest he make things worse for himself.

'Stay calm,' he told himself as he approached L's door. 'Stay calm and be rational. L did not send the photograph. Do not yell at L.'

Light moved to knock on the door, but as he did, the door opened. He nearly tripped. After he caught himself, he looked up. Matt and Mello were standing in the doorway. Mello was leaning against it, and Matt had his hand on his gun.

Light had met them once before, when they had come to visit Watari a few years ago. They still looked the same.

"I need to speak to L," Light told them.

"Right. Well, you'll have to get through us first," Matt replied.

He and Mello stepped out into the hallway, pushing Light back as they did so.

"You were waiting for me," Light said, his back now pressed against the wall. "Who told you I was coming?"

"Your co-worker Aizawa called," Mello answered. "Now, there's no reason for you to be here. We have to assume that you're hostile, so we'll give you a choice: leave now, peacefully, and never return, or we'll kill you. Simple as that."

Light sighed.

"I'm not here to fight! I need to talk to L. That's all! Just talk to him."

"You've caused him enough pain as it is," Matt growled, pushing himself further up against Light, "We're not letting you near him."

"God damn, will none of you listen? I'm here to apologize to L!"

Mello snorted.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious! Look, I have a set of handcuffs on me. Reach into my pocket, take them out. The key's in there too. Handcuff me if you want. Then you'll know I can't hurt him."

Matt and Mello looked at each other, both silently thinking the situation over.

"Handcuff him and let him in," came a voice from inside the apartment. Light recognized it immediately. It was L.

"Are you sure?" Matt asked. "'Cause we can beat him up."

"Violence will solve nothing. Let him in so - oh!" L doubled over. Instinctively, Matt and Mello turned towards him.

"What's wrong?!" Matt asked.

Mello, meanwhile, returned his attention to Light, who was now trying to get a glimpse of L. By now, Near had come to his brother's side.

"I think… having… contractions…" L gasped. "...Hurts…"

"But you're three months early!" Matt said.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Near told them. "Mello, handcuff Light. Matt, stay with L. I'm going to call an ambulance."


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Busy day today. Might be unable to update again til tomorrow. Sorry.

Ch. 19

Matt and Mello reluctantly allowed Light to ride in the ambulance to the hospital if only because they did not want to leave him alone in L's apartment. There was no telling what he might destroy. Their rules were that Light would remain handcuffed and not speak to L. Light was placed in between Matt and Mello while Near sat closer to L and the paramedic.

"Watari is on his way," Near told L. He was holding his brother's hand.

As L had been helped into the ambulance, the pain he was feeling had ceased. Near had dealt with the task of explaining L's situation, something that took a good ten minutes.

Thankfully, the paramedic believed him. He had mentioned 'hearing about a man who was pregnant' at the hospital before, and assumed that L was said man. The paramedic had suggested taking him to the hospital even if he wasn't in pain, just in case something was wrong.

"She's going to die," L said, looking at Near sadly. "I can tell."

"If you give birth, there is a 66 to 80 percent chance that she will survive," Near replied. "And no one said that she will definitely be born right now. Perhaps you had a Braxton-Hicks contraction."

L did not respond. Rather, he closed his eyes. Near squeezed his hand a little tighter.

00

L was rushed into the ER. As he lay in bed waiting for Dr. Yamada to come, he felt something wet touch his legs.

"Uhh, L…" Mello said, looking at the growing stain.

"Did you piss yourself?" Matt asked. "Because we could've helped you to the bathroom."

L just stared at the stain, horrified.

Light rolled his eyes.

"His water broke! Near, go get a doctor NOW."

"Already on it." Near was standing in the doorway, "I'll be back in a minute."

00

Dr. Yamada rushed to L's room just as Watari was entering. Watari noticed Light but said nothing. L and the baby were more important right then, and it looked like Matt and Mello had Light restrained well enough.

"Lawliet-san," the doctor greeted L. "I heard that you're having contractions and it looks like your water may have broken."

L frowned.

"Full blown labor is inevitable, then."

"Not necessarily. I'll need to examine you. It's possible that there's still amniotic fluid surrounding the baby."

L closed his eyes again, wishing that none of this was happening. What were the odds of it? Of Light showing up just as he started having contractions? He tried to figure out a percentage in an attempt to get his mind off of what was going on.

"Lawliet-san," Dr. Yamada said, trying to get his attention.

"Huh?" L opened his eyes.

"I've been asking if you want me to examine you alone, or if you want your family to stay."

L looked around.

"Watari and Near may stay. Matt and Mello, can you take Light outside?"

"Yes. We'll watch him," Matt said. He and Mello began pulling Light to his feet.

Just as they were about to leave, L heard Light call out to him.

"I'm sorry, L. I really am."

Mello and Matt dragged Light from the room before L could reply.

00

"The good news is that there is still amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. I've begun Lawliet-san on a regiment of tocolytics to stop the labor from progressing. Hopefully, we can hold it off for a few days. We will start giving Lawliet-san steroid injections today to help mature the baby's lung functions, along with antibiotics. The bad news is that the baby will be born much sooner than anticipated. We'll have to keep her in the NICU until she's strong enough to be released."

Light was back in the room, listening silently to the doctor's speech. He kept looking at L.

The older man looked so… sad. Light couldn't think of any other way to put it. He looked sad and afraid. It was even worse then when L had told him about his pregnancy.

"If the baby survives, are there any other possible complications?" Watari asked.

"There is a chance that the child will have a neurological or physical disability like cerebral palsy," the doctor answered truthfully.

Watari frowned as he noticed that L had begun to cry silently. The old man stood up and walked towards L's bedside.

"Son, it will be alright. No matter what, everything will work out."

L swallowed and sniffled. A small part of Light wanted to wipe away L's tears.

Light kicked himself mentally. He wondered if he could have prevented this somehow. He'd heard rumors that L had been hospitalized after he had lost his job - was his current condition tied to it? At the time, it seemed logical that L would easily find other employment. As for their friendship - well, L hadn't had friends before, he could surely live without them again.

Now, Light realized that he should have been more thoughtful. For most of his life, Light had been doted on, being his family's only son, not to mention being an attractive genius. Everyone had given him everything and making friends came easily to him - he'd never realized how differently L had it.

His selfishness was biting him in the ass now, though. His career was over and no matter what, he was still the father of L's child. They'd always be tied together in some way. It was amazing how something as banal as casual sex could backfire like this. If only he had realized the implications of his actions and words...

Light shook his head, trying to clear his mind so that he could think rationally.

He wondered if it would make a difference if he apologized in front of everyone. He supposed that it couldn't hurt.

"L," Light spoke up. "I know you… and your family… you all hate me, and rightfully so, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, again. I was selfish. I sincerely hope that my actions did not cause this to occur."

"Ah, so you're the other parent," Dr. Yamada said.

"I am. But I'm sure that L doesn't want me here." Light looked at Matt, "You guys can take me out if you'd like. I've said what I had to say and I don't want to stress L out any more than I already have."

"Good call," Matt said.

"Wait," L spoke, now. "Light… you don't have to leave."

Upon hearing this, Mello began to yell.

"Are you nuts?! After what he did to you, you still want him around?! Haven't you learned your lesson?!"

L shrunk back a little bit. All of the day's events had left him feeling on edge.

"Dr. Yamada is going to do an ultrasound later. I wanted Light to see our daughter," he said, voice barely above a whisper.

"You're insane. I can't believe you!" Mello was definitely pissed. "We spent the past two months picking up the pieces of what he did to you and you're just going to let him waltz back into your life?"

L looked at him, expecting the tirade to continue. It did.

"You know what? This was a waste of time. Matt, let's go."

Matt stood up.

"I hate to say it but I agree with Mello. You're nuts to let him stay."

"Excuse me," Dr. Yamada spoke up, "Please stop arguing. You're stressing out my patient."

All eyes turned to L, who was crying once again.

"Ugh," Mello sighed. "Fine. You want him here, L? He'll stay. But he's staying handcuffed."

"That's fine," L said, wiping a tear away. He hated this - how he was so vulnerable and weak looking right then, but he couldn't control it. All he could think of was his daughter and how Light had actually apologized.

The whole thing stressed him, and even though the fighting had stopped, L's heart began to race. He began imagining his daughter being born dead, or with brain damage. He thought back to how Light had embarrassed him in front of the team. It wasn't long before L began to hyperventilate.

"Alright, everyone needs to leave," Dr. Yamada instructed.

"No, please," L begged. He didn't want to be alone. He reached out for Near's hand and clung on to it.

"Your father and younger brother can stay. The rest of you, out! Go to the waiting room," she ordered.

There were a few words of discontent from Mello and Matt, but they complied if only for L's benefit.

00

Light's phone rang.

Since he was handcuffed, he could not answer it, so it rang until it went to voicemail.

He said nothing. Mello and Matt were still sitting with him in the middle of them.

Two minutes later, the phone rang again.

"Can you get that? It might be an emergency," Light said. "It's in my jean pocket."

"Stand," Mello told him.

Light stood up and Mello took the phone.

"It's your coworker Matsuda."

"Oh." Light had been hoping that perhaps it was Mae. "Just let it go to voicemail again."

"How about I just turn it off," Mello suggested.

Before Light could answer, Mello hit the power button.

"There. No more distractions."

"Look - I understand why you guys hate me, but can we at least try to get along for right now? I really did come to apologize to L."

"You came to apologize because you were caught. Your girlfriend called you out. Would you have come had she not?" Matt asked.

"Well…" Light trailed off. Matt was right. At first he'd come because he felt that apologizing was the only way to obtain even a modicum of forgiveness from his father. But now, he truly was beginning to feel bad.

"Do you know how sick he was?" Mello questioned angrily. "Do you realize what you did to him?"

"I didn't think it would be hard for him to find another job," Light protested. "And he lived most of his life without friends. I thought he would go back to living that way."

Mello glared at him.

"He didn't eat for ten days. He stayed in his room and laid in bed until he was too weak to move anymore. He got pneumonia. Matt, Near and I got to him just in time. Dr. Yamada said that if we had brought him in a day later he might have died. It's a damn miracle that the baby survived. That's how bad you hurt him. Enough to where he literally shut down."

"What Mello is saying is that if you want to be a part of L's life, assuming that L is okay with that, you'll have to prove yourself. I saw the way you looked at him in there. As much of a scumbag as you are, you cared. Deep inside you cared. Now prove it. Do right by him."

"How exactly should I do that? I'm handcuffed. I can't even answer my own cellphone."

"By doing as much as you can for him without question," Matt explained. "Whatever he needs - you'll take care of it. We'll be watching you. I don't care if he needs you to wipe his ass for him. You're going to do it. And you're going to be there for that baby when it's born too. The sole reason that we haven't killed you is because L seems to care for you as well. You're going to make up for what you did, is what it comes down to."

"I see."

"The choice is yours. L wants you to see the ultrasound, so you're going to see it. You can decide after that. If you don't want to stick around, we'll let you go, but if you ever show your face near L again, no one will ever find your body. Mark my words about that," Matt threatened.

Light quietly nodded in agreement.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Had a bit more time to write. Also, I'm basing a lot of the baby info on my friend, who just delivered a premature baby at 6.5 months along. All of the medical things are stuff she had to go through. The baby is doing well now :)

Ch. 20

It took two hours for L to calm down from his panic attack. This had to be done naturally, as the doctor was afraid to give him any more medication than necessary. The baby was under enough stress as it was; giving L anything else might hurt her. In the end, he cried until he was so tired that he fell asleep. Watari and Near stayed by his side, faithful as ever. Near held his hand and Watari stroked L's hair.

"My poor boy," Watari whispered. "I wish I could take on your pain so you did not have to suffer."

Near frowned.

"L will be alright. He's stronger than he seems. All of this hit him at once. I believe that most people would feel stressed in such a situation."

"It's worse for him, though," Watari argued. "He's not used to this… to human experience as most people have it. It is my fault. I sheltered him, kept him at home because I knew people would hurt him. In doing so I kept him from making friends, learning to socialize, and falling in love. Perhaps had he experienced such things when he was younger, he would not be in this situation."

"I think that L would agree that one cannot change the past, so dwelling on mistakes is pointless. In the time I have lived with L, he has come a long way. He and Mello are even getting along. He's talked about his feelings and we've discussed his thoughts regarding Light and the baby. I believe that he will be fine. Nonetheless," Near said, smirking, "If Light does hurt him again, I'll happily join Matt and Mello in kicking his ass."

"Fair enough," Watari agreed.

00

Light was tired. He'd been thinking about Matt's statement about him being there for L. He wasn't sure what to do.

On one hand, he had nothing left to lose. His career was over. His friends would probably abandon him. The wedding would be called off. Would helping L really be such a bad thing?

On the other hand, he could always start over - move elsewhere, start a new life far away from L and their child.

He still had yet to make a decision when a nurse called Light, Matt and Mello back into the room. L was calm enough so that they could do the ultrasound. Light took a deep breath and followed them all in.

00

"That's her," the technician said, as she focused the image on the screen.

The ultrasound was three dimensional, and Light could see the baby very clearly.

He was stunned.

"She… She's… My God, L. She's… real!"

"Of course she's real," L replied sarcastically.

"But… she's there! That's her! She… she has long fingers like you, it looks like. And my nose. She looks like the both of us!"

"What did you think she would look like?"

"I had no idea. I don't even know what to say."

Light's heart was beating a mile a minute. A flood of emotions washed over him as he watched the baby move around in L's stomach. He was looking at his daughter. He and L's child.

It was then that Light knew what he had to do. He was going to stay around and prove himself to L, no matter what it took to do so.

00

"I want to stay and help," Light told Matt, Mello, Near and Watari. "If L will let me, of course."

L had gone back to sleep and the group was sitting in the back of the room talking quietly.

"I doubt he'll say no. You are the father of his child, after all. He also seems to love you quite deeply," Near replied.

"Matt and Mello said I can stay if I can prove myself. I want to do that. Whatever you need - whatever L needs, just tell me. I'll do it."

"I still don't trust you," Mello said, glaring at Light. "But if you're sincere, we'll have to take the handcuffs off. We'll search you for weapons first. I think it's only fair that a third person be in the room with you and L at all times. Preferably myself, Matt or Near. No offense Watari, but you may not be strong enough to fight Light off if necessary."

"That's fine," Light answered. "I understand completely."

"Alright. Once L's awake, we'll talk to him. If he's okay with you staying around, we won't kick you out. But don't you dare trying anything!" Matt warned.

"I know, or no one will ever find my body. I remember," Light said.

"Good," was Matt's only response.

00

L slept until the early morning hours, when a nurse came in to administer another steroid injection. As the nurse prepared the needle, L looked around the room. Everyone including Light was still there.

L wondered why he was still present. He'd fully expected Light to leave after the ultrasound. He had only asked him to stay because he wanted Light to see their daughter at least once. Yet, there he was, sitting next to Matt and Mello, asleep.

"Oh," L groaned, as the needle entered his flesh. Right then the baby also began to kick. L tried to keep quiet but he gasped when the baby hit his ribs.

"Are you alright?" the nurse asked.

"…Fine. She kicked hard is all."

The conversation woke Light.

"L?" Light asked, softly, once the nurse had left. "What's wrong? You said that she's kicking?"

"She – ah – yes, she's very strong, even at six months."

"Not surprising, considering her parents," Light answered.

L nodded, trying not to grimace as she did it yet again. Despite his pain, he noticed that everyone else still seemed to be asleep. He kept his voice low to keep them from waking.

"Why are you still here?"

A look of shame came over Light's face.

"Can I, uh, come closer? Your brothers searched me for weapons and I can't hurt you without waking them up so… It's safe, is what I mean to say."

"You can come closer."

"Thanks." Light moved across the room and sat on the edge of L's bed. "I stayed because once I saw her, I knew I couldn't leave. She looks like me, L. And she looks like you. Our blood runs through her veins. I knew I'd be unable to live with myself if I left her. Of course, you have a say in this too. If you want me to go, I'd only ask for some contact with her on occasion. I'm not going to fight you, L. I've dragged you through too much already."

L studied Light's expression and mannerisms, trying to tell if he was lying. When he determined that the chances of it were low, he spoke.

"You hurt me very much. I am unsure if I can forgive that."

Light nodded and stood up.

"I understand. I… I'll go, then. Your brothers said that if I left you alone, they wouldn't come after me. If you can just contact me when she's born, maybe send me a photo…"

L sighed.

"I did not say that you had to leave, just that I may be unable to forgive you. Not right now, at least. However, we owe it to her to try to get along."

"I agree. Your brothers said that you might forgive me if I were to help you more. If there's anything I can do, please tell me."

"Anything?"

"That is what I said."

L smirked.

"Well, you could start by making a trip to the bakery down the block when it opens. The food at this hospital is awful."

Light smiled.

"Strawberry cake, then?"

"A slice or two wouldn't hurt. And maybe a cupcake."

"Right. No problem. It won't be open for another few hours though, so you might want to try to go back to sleep."

"Good idea."

Light looked down at L as the older man made himself comfortable and closed his eyes yet again. He couldn't help but lean in and kiss L on the forehead. L didn't say anything, but he smiled when he felt it.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: To my readers - this story does not end here. But I may not update for a bit as I have a pretty huge family emergency.

Ch. 22

The day progressed into evening. Mello and Watari had gone on a brief trip back to Watari's house. They planned to shower and change their clothes. Once they returned, Matt and Near would go and do the same.

Now, though, it was only Matt, Near and Light in the room with L.

L had been sleeping for the past hour, apparently exhausted from the stresses of the morning. Near had sat by L's side while he slept, watching over him. Light and Matt sat towards the back of the room.

Both had their eyes glued on the television, which was currently on mute but had subtitles showing. They were watching the news when they heard it: L had screamed.

Light and Matt immediately stood up.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked, coming to L's side. His older brother had begun to curl up, apparently trying to get the pain to stop.

"Hurts so bad," L managed to get out.

"I'm going to get the doctor," Matt said. "Near, you watch Light and stay with L."

Near nodded in agreement then turned back to his brother.

"L, does it hurt like it did before?"

"Y-yes," he grunted, "So painful…"

"Here," Light held out his hand. "Squeeze my hand. It might help."

L looked at him, carefully studying him. Finally, he took Light up on his offer. Light almost cried out in pain at how tight L's grip was. He wouldn't be surprised if some of his fingers were broken.

As Near and Dr. Yamada returned, the rest of L's water broke.

"Ah!" He cried out. The pain was intensifying.

Dr. Yamada frowned. She'd hoped to delay labor for at least another day or two, but that didn't seem to be possible.

"L," she said, calmly as she could, "You're having contractions again. I need to page the other staff. You're going to have your baby very soon."

L didn't answer. Tears were rolling down his face yet again. Near wiped them away with a tissue and tried to reassure him that everything would be fine.

00

As had happened previously, the cramping subsided shortly after it began. However, it soon returned.

For the next several hours the majority of the maternity ward could hear L screaming on and off. He'd never felt such pain before!

"Make it stop!" He begged Watari, once the old man had returned.

"Oh, L, I wish I could. Once you're closer to having the baby, the doctor's going to give you something to take the pain away."

"Give it to me now, dammit!" L hissed.

"You're not dilated enough yet," Light explained. "Just a little bit more time and I'm sure they'll give it to you."

"This. Fucking. Hurts!" L yelled. "Make it stop!"

Light looked over at Watari.

Watari, not wanting to see his son in such pain, decided to take action.

"I think they can probably give it now. Let me go get the doctor and see what she can do."

00

Dr. Yamada agreed to give the anesthesia so long as L allowed a nurse to remain in the room so that he was continually monitored.

Following the doctor's instructions, Light and Near helped L turn on his side. He was still crying and had again taken to gripping Light's hand as if his life depended on it.

"Okay, L," Light said. "The doctor's going to put the catheter in to deliver the medicine. You'll need to keep perfectly still."

L nodded and sniffled.

"Hey, it's going to be just fine," Light reassured him. "Right, Near?"

Near nodded, "It will be."

"On the count of three," the doctor - a male anesthesiologist - warned.

"Okay…"

"One, two-" And with that, he slid the catheter and needle into L's lower back and injected the medicine. L winced in pain, but managed to keep from screaming.

"You'll be feeling much better very soon."

L sniffled again, and Mello came over, holding a tissue. He held it to L's nose.

"Blow," he instructed.

L was in no mood to argue. He could barely breathe because of how runny his nose was. He ignored the fact that he was being treated like a child and did as his brother told him.

"There," Mello said, wiping away any remaining snot. "You can probably breathe better now right?"

"Mhmm." L looked like he was trying his hardest to stop crying.

After several tense minutes, he finally began to calm. The epidural was working.

'Thank god', Light thought to himself.

00

The hours passed slowly. Every thirty minutes, the nurse would check L's dilation and vital statistics.

It was a few minutes after midnight when the nurse announced that L was fully dilated and that the baby would be born soon. Dr. Yamada was called back in and began to coach L on what to do.

The whole time, Light stood by. The whole scene seem surreal. He watched as the doctor told L to push, then breathe, then push again. L didn't seem to be in that much pain due to the epidural, but he seemed uncomfortable.

Watari surprised Light by moving next to him.

"Why are you just standing there? Go hold his hand!"

"I.. uh. Okay," Light answered. He moved closer to L. "Watari said you might want to hold my hand."

Without answering, L reached out and took Light's hand again, gripping it just as hard as he had previously.

"Okay. She's crowning," the doctor told him. "One more push…"

"Can't!" L protested. "I can't! Too tired…"

"Come on, L. You have to do it," Light told him. "Just one more, so you can see our daughter."

L glared at Light, but complied. Seconds later Dr. Yamada removed their daughter.

L had collapsed back on the bed, tired and sweaty.

"Is she alright?" He asked, after what felt like forever.

He was answered by the sound of the baby crying.

"She's very tiny," the doctor told him, "But I think she's going to be fine."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Story does not end here.

Ch. 22

The day progressed into evening. Mello and Watari had gone on a brief trip back to Watari's house. They planned to shower and change their clothes. Once they returned, Matt and Near would go and do the same.

Now, though, it was only Matt, Near and Light in the room with L.

L had been sleeping for the past hour, apparently exhausted from the stresses of the morning. Near had sat by L's side while he slept, watching over him. Light and Matt sat towards the back of the room.

Both had their eyes glued on the television, which was currently on mute but had subtitles showing. They were watching the news when they heard it: L had screamed.

Light and Matt immediately stood up.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked, coming to L's side. His older brother had begun to curl up, apparently trying to get the pain to stop.

"Hurts so bad," L managed to get out.

"I'm going to get the doctor," Matt said. "Near, you watch Light and stay with L."

Near nodded in agreement then turned back to his brother.

"L, does it hurt like it did before?"

"Y-yes," he grunted, "So painful…"

"Here," Light held out his hand. "Squeeze my hand. It might help."

L looked at him, carefully studying him. Finally, he took Light up on his offer. Light almost cried out in pain at how tight L's grip was. He wouldn't be surprised if some of his fingers were broken.

As Near and Dr. Yamada returned, the rest of L's water broke.

"Ah!" He cried out. The pain was intensifying.

Dr. Yamada frowned. She'd hoped to delay labor for at least another day or two, but that didn't seem to be possible.

"L," she said, calmly as she could, "You're having contractions again. I need to page the other staff. You're going to have your baby very soon."

L didn't answer. Tears were rolling down his face yet again. Near wiped them away with a tissue and tried to reassure him that everything would be fine.

00

As had happened previously, the cramping subsided shortly after it began. However, it soon returned.

For the next several hours the majority of the maternity ward could hear L screaming on and off. He'd never felt such pain before!

"Make it stop!" He begged Watari, once the old man had returned.

"Oh, L, I wish I could. Once you're closer to having the baby, the doctor's going to give you something to take the pain away."

"Give it to me now, dammit!" L hissed.

"You're not dilated enough yet," Light explained. "Just a little bit more time and I'm sure they'll give it to you."

"This. Fucking. Hurts!" L yelled. "Make it stop!"

Light looked over at Watari.

Watari, not wanting to see his son in such pain, decided to take action.

"I think they can probably give it now. Let me go get the doctor and see what she can do."

00

Dr. Yamada agreed to give the anesthesia so long as L allowed a nurse to remain in the room so that he was continually monitored.

Following the doctor's instructions, Light and Near helped L turn on his side. He was still crying and had again taken to gripping Light's hand as if his life depended on it.

"Okay, L," Light said. "The doctor's going to put the catheter in to deliver the medicine. You'll need to keep perfectly still."

L nodded and sniffled.

"Hey, it's going to be just fine," Light reassured him. "Right, Near?"

Near nodded, "It will be."

"On the count of three," the doctor - a male anesthesiologist - warned.

"Okay…"

"One, two-" And with that, he slid the catheter and needle into L's lower back and injected the medicine. L winced in pain, but managed to keep from screaming.

"You'll be feeling much better very soon."

L sniffled again, and Mello came over, holding a tissue. He held it to L's nose.

"Blow," he instructed.

L was in no mood to argue. He could barely breathe because of how runny his nose was. He ignored the fact that he was being treated like a child and did as his brother told him.

"There," Mello said, wiping away any remaining snot. "You can probably breathe better now right?"

"Mhmm." L looked like he was trying his hardest to stop crying.

After several tense minutes, he finally began to calm. The epidural was working.

'Thank god', Light thought to himself.

00

The hours passed slowly. Every thirty minutes, the nurse would check L's dilation and vital statistics.

It was a few minutes after midnight when the nurse announced that L was fully dilated and that the baby would be born soon. Dr. Yamada was called back in and began to coach L on what to do.

The whole time, Light stood by. The whole scene seem surreal. He watched as the doctor told L to push, then breathe, then push again. L didn't seem to be in that much pain due to the epidural, but he seemed uncomfortable.

Watari surprised Light by moving next to him.

"Why are you just standing there? Go hold his hand!"

"I.. uh. Okay," Light answered. He moved closer to L. "Watari said you might want to hold my hand."

Without answering, L reached out and took Light's hand again, gripping it just as hard as he had previously.

"Okay. She's crowning," the doctor told him. "One more push…"

"Can't!" L protested. "I can't! Too tired…"

"Come on, L. You have to do it," Light told him. "Just one more, so you can see our daughter."

L glared at Light, but complied. Seconds later Dr. Yamada removed their daughter.

L had collapsed back on the bed, tired and sweaty.

"Is she alright?" He asked, after what felt like forever.

He was answered by the sound of the baby crying.

"She's very tiny," the doctor told him, "But I think she's going to be fine."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: A few more chapters left. 3-4.

Ch. 23

"She really is tiny," L said.

Watari and Near had convinced the doctor to allow L out of bed and be wheeled down to the NICU where his baby was being held. Currently, he, his family, and Light were all looking down at her.

The baby was 40 centimeters long and weighed 1.6 kilograms. A very tiny IV was stuck into her hand and there was a small oxygen mask on her face. Dr. Yamada explained that the baby had been having issues breathing and would need the mask until her lungs matured a bit.

Despite the baby's small size and the tubes and mask attached to her, L thought that she was beautiful.

"She does have my fingers," he remarked.

"Yes, she does," Light replied. "I think she has my nose, but I can't be sure."

"You'll figure it out as she gets older," Watari told them. "I do think she has L's chin though."

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the sight of the baby. They listened to the beeping sound of the machine that was monitoring her heart and oxygen rates.

Watari broke the silence by questioning Light.

"Have you informed your family yet?"

"No. I wanted to make sure that she was okay, and that L was okay. Speaking of," he looked at L, "you seem tired."

"I did just give birth twelve hours ago."

"We'll take you back up to your room," Matt said.

L sighed.

"I don't want to leave her."

"She's in good hands," Near tried to reassure him. "And you can see her again later. Besides, you need to give her a name."

L reluctantly nodded and agreed to leave.

00

L had requested some time alone with Light. L's family was not happy about this, but they allowed it on the condition that Near be allowed to stay in the room. He would stay out of L and Light's way, but could help if anything happened.

"I suppose it will take them a long time to trust me to be alone around you," Light said, as Matt, Mello and Watari left the room. "Though I don't blame them."

Light was sitting next to L, who was back in bed.

"If you continue to act kindly towards me they will eventually allow it."

"I'll be nice to you even if they don't."

L smiled at him, sensing that Light was being truthful.

"Now, Near had a point. You should give her a name."

Near, who was sitting in back of the room, perked up when he heard this. He had been wondering what L might call the baby, whether he would give her an English name or a Japanese name.

"_We_ should give her a name," L replied. "However, I do not think we should do it now."

Both of those statements caught Light and Near off guard.

"How come?" Light asked. "I mean, how come not now?"

"Because… what if she doesn't…" L trailed off, suddenly looking very sad.

"Dr. Yamada said that she thinks that the baby will be fine."

"But there's a sixteen percent chance that she won't be. I calculated it after Dr. Yamada informed me of her complications. If we name her now, and she doesn't make it, whenever I hear her name it will hurt."

"I understand. If you truly feel that strongly about it, we can wait to name her. Also, thank you for allowing me to participate in naming her."

"You're her father. It is only fair."

"After what I did, I would not have blamed you had you not allowed me."

"Well, as we discussed earlier, for her sake, we should try to get along."


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

L was in the hospital for another four days. After that, he was released. The baby would have to stay until she was stronger.

Light had helped escort L home, but after that, he had left. L needed his rest and he had his brothers and father around, after all.

So, Light returned to his apartment.

After having spent the past few days with L and his family, Light felt strangely lonely. It didn't help that much of his apartment had been decorated by Mae and thus reminded him of her.

At first he sat around and tried to relax. He read for a bit, then tried to watch television. There wasn't much food in the refrigerator, so he ordered takeout for dinner. By that point he was so lonely that he attempted to start a conversation with the delivery man, who in turn seemed to think that he was weird.

Light ate his meal in silence, watched some more television, then went to bed. As he stared up at the ceiling he decided that he would call his father tomorrow and tell him the news.

00

Soichiro Yagami had been in a bad mood ever since he had been let go from the NPA. His wife and daughter barely spoke to him, knowing that he was in an angry mood.

He had been close to retirement, and now he would have to find other work and essentially start over.

Thus, when he saw Light's phone number come up on his mobile, he didn't want to pick it up. He blamed himself for his actions, but to an extent he also blamed Light.

After six rings, the call went to voicemail. Soichiro mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then the phone rang again.

"Soichiro?" Sachiko asked. "Are you going to get that?"

"...Yes," Soichiro grumbled. He reasoned that something important must have happened for Light to call twice in a row.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Father, I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but I wanted to tell you that L had his baby."

Soichiro nearly dropped the phone. From his calculations, he had deduced that L was not due for another three months.

"Isn't it early?" He finally replied.

"Three months early."

"I see."

"The baby is a girl. She's in the NICU. I was with L the entire time that he was in the hospital - his water broke when I went to apologize to him. It's kind of a long story, anyway, I just thought you'd want to know that you're a grandfather now."

"I… you...Please tell me that you've done right by L, and that you were with him to help him," Soichiro said.

"I stayed with him to help him, yes. His brothers and father were there as well. I held his hand as he was in labor."

There was silence. Soichiro was a grandfather. He couldn't help but feel somewhat elated at the thought.

"If you want, I have some photos," Light offered.

"I'd like to see them. How about you come over today? Bring the photos. You can tell your mother and sister the good news."

Light smiled.

"Sure, dad. I'll see you later."

00

Sachiko and Sayu hadn't been sure how to feel about Light.

His actions were terrible, for sure. Yet, he was still part of their family. When Soichiro seemed excited about the prospect of Light coming over, both of them knew something was up.

Light arrived in the early afternoon. Prior to coming, he had called L to ask if he needed anything. L simply replied that some pastries would be nice. Light promised to bring them by after he saw his family. He knew that L would probably want a report on how Soichiro, Sachiko and Sayu took the news as well.

"Light," his mother greeted him. She gave him a hug though it didn't feel as warm and loving as it had in the past.

'She is probably angry at all that has happened', he thought to himself. He hoped that seeing pictures of her granddaughter would make her happier.

Sayu also gave him a hug and the two women led him to the kitchen, where tea was being made.

Light took a seat at the table. Soichiro was already sitting down.

"Your father said that you have some news to share with us," Sachiko said, as she poured tea for everyone. "I hope it is good news?"

"Hopefully you'll think so."

Sayu and Sachiko were now sitting down as well.

Light pulled out his phone and flipped to the photographs he had taken of the baby. He handed it over to his mother.

"A baby?" She asked.

"Whose baby is it?" Sayu questioned.

"L's. She's your granddaughter."

The phone slipped from Sayu's hand as she gasped.

"You - you were actually there? Father said that L was not due for several months, though!"

"He wasn't. He had the baby early," Light began to recount the story. The three listened and intently. By the end, all could agree that despite all of the bad things that occurred, the clouds had a silver lining.

00

Light left his parent's house in the late afternoon, promising to let them visit their granddaughter when she was stronger and when L felt comfortable with. _If_L felt comfortable it, Light had amended. He still had no idea how L would take to having to see the man who had fired him.

He stopped at a local bakery and picked up cheesecake, cookies and a large piece of strawberry shortcake. After that, he took the train to the block closest to L's apartment.

It was a cold evening, and snow was starting to fall. Light didn't mind, though. He was excited to see L again.

00

Mello answered the door.

"Back already?" He asked sarcastically.

"I brought L his goodies," Light replied. "How is he?"

"He's fine. He -"

Mello glanced over his shoulder. Light could hear Near and Matt talking loudly, probably to L, saying something about staying in bed.

"-He's tired of being stuck in bed."

"I see. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, whatever." Mello held the door open. Everyone was there, so it wasn't like Light could do much.

Light followed the sounds of voices towards L's bedroom.

"The doctor said that you have to rest!" Matt was saying.

L was sitting on the edge of the bed, apparently wanting to stand up.

"I've been resting all day," L argued. "I need to walk at least a little bit."

"But you said you were sore," Near replied.

"I'm sore but I'm not crippled. I can move."

At that moment, L spotted Light standing in the doorway. He shot him a pleading gaze.

"Guys, I think he can get up and walk out to the kitchen or living room," Light said. "I can spot him while he's walking like I did in the hospital, if you'd feel more comfortable."

Matt and Near looked at each other. It did seem like a fair compromise.

"Fine," Matt agreed. "But you'd better tell us if you're in pain," he told L.

"I will, now move."

Light came to L's side and helped him up. Together, they began moving out of the bedroom.

"How are you feeling?" Light asked, noticing that L was walking very slowly.

"As my brothers noted, sore. But I'll be fine soon."

"Okay. I bought you some treats, like you asked," Light said.

L grinned and started heading towards the kitchen table, apparently intent on eating said treats. Once L was seated, Light retrieved a plate and silverware.

"So you've been in bed all day?" Light placed the piece of strawberry shortcake on L's plate.

L took a bite and a look of bliss crossed his face.

"God, I missed being able to eat this stuff whenever I wanted."

Light shook his head.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?"

L shrugged and took another bite.

"To answer your question, my brothers and Watari have been insisting that I stay in bed except to use the washroom. They even made me take my meals in bed! It's like being back at the hospital!"

"Aw, they're just looking out for your best interest."

"It's extremely boring."

"You used to sit in one spot for hours when we worked together."

"I was thinking, then. I cannot go back to my usual sitting position yet, therefore I cannot think as effectively, nevermind that there is not much to think about besides our baby. That in itself is tormenting me. I keep having these awful thoughts that she might die."

L had put down his fork.

Light frowned.

"She's not going to die."

"There's a chance that she may." L looked like he wanted to cry again, but was holding it back.

Light wasn't sure what to do. He could quote statistics and give L several reasons why the baby was apt to survive, but L was going to be stuck on the possibility of her death no matter what. Finally, a thought occurred to him.

"This sounds weird but can I give you a hug?" Light asked.

L looked at him and blinked.

"A hug?"

"I think it will make you feel better."

"Okay," L agreed.

Light moved closer to him and wrapped his arms around the smaller man. It wasn't long before L did the same, and rested his head on Light's shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," Light whispered. "We'll go see her tomorrow, and you'll see for yourself that she's still doing fine. No matter what, though, it's going to be okay."

L didn't respond. He would never admit it, but Light had been right. He did feel a little bit better.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Last chapter, thank you to everyone for reading and commenting! I felt L deserved some happiness after all he had been through.

Ch. 25

It was over a month before the baby was released from the hospital into L's care. Light wondered if this was fate. The truth of the matter was that the stress of the situation - and the situation's long duration - had forced L and Light to become closer.

In an attempt to step up and prove himself, Light had come to answer L's every beck and call. It wasn't as if he had much to do anyway, being unemployed. Using the money he had saved, he purchased a car to drive L to and from wherever he needed or wanted to go. Usually, L wanted to go to the hospital to visit the baby.

The two would go nightly, often taking Near or Watari with them. They would stay for hours, watching her, talking to her. Sometimes Light would read to her. L would spout off random facts in the hope that she might learn something.

At first they started out sitting near each other, but not too close. By the end of the month, they were essentially inseparable.

Light did more than just act as a chauffeur. He was there for L's emotional needs as well.

The ups and downs of the baby being away coupled with the physical changes that L had to cope with had had a big impact on L. Light did his best to ensure that he was there when L was worried about the baby, even if Light was worried himself. He forced himself to stay strong, if only for L's sake. And whenever L mentioned anything about disliking himself, Light put his fears to rest. Yes, L had gained a little bit of weight, but it wasn't anything too noticeable. He just looked closer to a normal weight now. And yes, he had stretch marks, but he was still young and they would fade, not that Light thought they were ugly.

Loathe as they were to admit it, even Matt and Mello had noticed that L seemed more confident when Light was around.

Slowly, L's family began to trust Light. Besides L, Near was the one who was most willing to give Light a second chance. He even suggested that perhaps the three of them could find a larger apartment and live together there.

00

On the day that the baby was released, L and Light returned to L's apartment to find that both Light and L's family had come over, and that a small welcome home/baby shower was being thrown.

At first, Light was nervous. He had no idea how L would respond to seeing his father. Luckily, L seemed too wrapped up in caring for the baby to stress over Soichiro's presence.

After eating a meal prepared by Sachiko and Sayu, L was given some presents. Since the baby had come much earlier than expected, he had only gathered a small amount of supplies. He was pleasantly surprised to find that most, if not all of the baby's needs for the coming months were now taken care of.

Matt and Mello had assembled the crib and placed it in L's room. They'd also bought a few outfits, specially sized for small babies. Most of them were fairly generic. One was pink and had little pieces of sequins on it. Another was funny, and read 'I only cry when ugly people hold me'.

"Mello picked that one out," Matt explained, as L rolled his eyes.

Near had picked out some toys for her along with a pink stuffed teddy bear.

Watari had given the wonderful gift of extra money, enough so that neither Light nor L would have to worry about finances for at least a year. Soichiro, Sachiko and Sayu had provided baby formula, cloth diapers and a small bathtub.

00

Despite how exciting the day was, within a few hours L was tired. He'd been up for most of the previous evening, thinking about how they would soon be taking their daughter home. Six months of actually sleeping like a normal person had left his body craving rest more than usual.

So, dessert was served. It included Light's favorite - strawberry cake along with various other pies and pastries. Then the party began to wind down.

It was not until the end of the party that Light and L finally made the announcement of the baby's name.

Anna Aiko Lawliet. The decision to give her both an English and a Japanese name came as an easy compromise, and Light had insisted that she take L's last name, if only for the trouble that he had been put through.

Two months later, L and Light lay in bed together in their new apartment. They hadn't become sexually intimate again -Light knew that that would surely take more time - but they were intimate on an emotional level and slept in the same room, "for Anna's sake", of course.

As L drifted off to sleep Light lay awake, wondering what the future would hold. He was planning on finding a consultant job or opening his own detective practice. Perhaps he and L could work together again.

Then he glanced over at his sleeping friend, the parent of his child, and wondered to himself whether L would ever want any other children, if things ended up going well.


End file.
